Teasing, Teaching and Time Travel
by Tanydwr
Summary: HIATUS. Harry becomes DADA teacher. In 1977. But what mystery shrouds the DADA teacher? The Marauders want to know. HG, y'know. Rated for language and adult themes.
1. Chapter 1: Proposition

**Teasing, Teaching and Time Travel**

**By Tanydwr**

**Disclaimer:** Yes, Harry Potter is MINE! _Nasty men with guns and legal papers advance._ Or not. Actually, no, he isn't. However the plot (however cliché) _is_ mine. Hah! _Childishly pokes tongue out at legal men._ No point suing anyway, a fiver that kinda went through the wash is not worth the legal fees. Okay, okay, so it was a tenner! P.S. Disclaimer goes for whole fic!

**Summary:** Just your average Harry goes back in time to teach his parents' DADA class fic. Yeah, right. Delve into the minds of the Marauders as they see this new teacher who looks so much like James, yet his eyes are identical to that of a Miss Lily Evans... Lily struggles to cope with her feelings for a certain Marauder... Harry tries to recover from his defeat of Voldemort and advances from a certain redhead... And a certain redhead comes back in time, to help him teach? Or just to tease?

Okay, I've got to point out that the idea of Hedwig being a white phoenix is borrowed from RossWrock. I forgot to mention that before! Sorry! But it isn't plagiarism because she's a white phoenix in a different way. Go read RossWrock's fic, Harry Potter and the Power of Time. It's really cool. The multi-compartment trunk is also borrowed from him, but also other people 'coz it features in a fair few fics. Another of mine as well, actually.

The chapter's just been gone through again, edited a little, nothing incredibly changed. Just better grammar! And lots of XXXXXXXs because FanFiction doesn't accept any funny marks anymore.

Enjoy!

**Chapter 1: Proposition**

Nineteen-year-old Harry James Potter, Boy Who Lived, Saviour of the Wizarding World, Man Who Conquered, Order of Merlin First Class, and various other titles and aliases, was sat in his former headmaster's office, stumped as to why he wanted to see him, with all his belongings in a trunk.

Harry was also waiting. And impatient.

He had defeated Voldemort at the end of his Seventh-year, right after the graduation ceremony Hogwarts had had for centuries. The last year had been spent mopping up the wizarding world. Harry was busy overseeing the rebuilding of a new Ministry of Magic, in both site and staff. Voldemort had destroyed it at Christmas of Harry's Seventh-year. It was being rebuilt right in the heart of Diagon Alley and surrounding areas of magical London, which was now being expanded. Currently, Arthur Weasley was acting as Minister of Magic. Harry's input seemed to be wanted everywhere, he was, after all, famous. He just felt he had never had the chance to truly recover after defeating Voldemort. He hadn't stopped since.

Even more confusing were the sudden advances of a certain redhead. Not to mention his own befuddled emotions. Miss Ginevra Weasley was a stunning young woman. She had got over her crush on Harry, apparently, in her third-year. Which made the incredible flirtations she had with him all the more bemusing. Harry, unable to respond in any other way, had actually just flirted back. He was normally shy, though he knew Ginny to be rather bold and talkative, around girls, though not anyone else. Hence everyone else's surprise.

At that moment, a door opened and out stepped Dumbledore.

"Ah, Harry, welcome, welcome." Dumbledore smiled.

Harry observed Dumbledore. He seemed to be aging more every time he saw him. He remembered how furious he had been after his Fifth-year and the revelation of the prophecy, and then how helpful Dumbledore had been in training him. Their relationship wasn't what it had been. But it was close.

"Hi, Albus. Why did you want to see me?" Harry asked.

"Well, Harry, it has come to my notice that you have not stopped working since your defeat of Voldemort last year. Subsequently, I suspect you haven't had any real time to recover from the trauma of the fight." Dumbledore eyed him carefully.

Harry flopped down into a chair, defeated. "How did you know?"

"An old man's hunch. You cannot be expected to go on forever. I would suggest a holiday, but you are not one for sitting around doing nothing."

"Too right. I can't just do nothing. It's not my sort of thing. I'm the Boy Who Lived, the Man Who Conquered, so I'm also expected to keep going, not feel tired or depressed." Harry groaned.

"It has also come to my attention that we are in need of a DADA teacher." Dumbledore said.

"What?! But I thought Remus was..."

"I never said now. No, we require a DADA teacher in 1977." Dumbledore explained.

"So?"

"I thought it might be therapeutic for you to travel back in time and take over that position. I remember a teacher named Harry Potter appearing mysteriously one evening."

"Oh, you mean he pulled a Moody? Or fake-Moody, but I suspect Mad-Eye would have appeared like that anyway." Harry mused.

"Most likely. Harry, you were that man."

"You what?"

"I think I made it clear. That is why I told you to bring your things with you."

"But what about my... condition? Full moons aren't exactly easy." Harry snapped.

"You are less dangerous than a werewolf, Harry. And we had one of those at the time."

"You mean..."

"Yes, the school year 1977-78 was your parents' and their friends seventh year at Hogwarts." The headmaster answered.

"Holy..."

"As much as I enjoy hearing the electives expressed by students and former students in times of surprise and pressure, I do not feel the desire to do so now, Harry." Dumbledore stated, observing the young man carefully over his half-moon glasses.

Harry snorted. Dumbledore _never_ seemed to scold people for bad language. Just one of the other strange things about him. And Harry's language wasn't all too polite. It was one of the problems of spending the last three years around Aurors – they swore a lot, especially if in trouble with suspects. In fact 'swear like an Auror' was the wizard equivalent of 'swear like a soldier'.

"So I'm going to meet the teenage versions of my parents. Nice." Harry muttered.

"Harry, do not base your views on a single scene from a pensieve from a victim's point of view. James was foolish at times, but he was a kind, good and respectable man when he left Hogwarts. And he had begun that transition by his seventh year. Why else would he have been Head Boy?"

Harry's eyes widened. "And my mother was Head Girl... Oh my God, Merlin only knows what they did in the tower after they got together! Ron and Hermione were bad enough!"

Dumbledore raised a brow. "What?"

"You know what." Harry replied. "_I_ never had time for it, but Hermione seemed to have a little less studying in her schedule that year. And of course, there's the whole thing that in about ten or eleven years time you're going to have an inordinate number of students." Harry grinned wickedly. "With several Weasley children among them."

With the defeat of Voldemort, Ginny claimed her brothers had celebrated in traditional Weasley fashion – and had been some of the main contributors to the baby boom the wizarding world was _still_ feeling the effects of. It had also meant a number of marriages. Ron and Hermione – after Ron had grown up somewhat during Sixth-year and begun to take studying more seriously, they had begun dating. Fred and Angelina – Harry always knew that that Yule ball date must have led to something more, not to mention Angelina's fury when the Weasley twins were kicked off the team in his Fifth-year. George and Alicia – Harry wondered what it was with the Quidditch Chasers and the Weasley twins. Percy and Penelope – Percy had been accepted back into the family during Harry's Sixth-year after much goading from Penelope. Charlie and Tonks – of all people, Harry hadn't expected that, but if Charlie could handle dragons, he could also handle Tonks' clumsiness. She had also been dreadfully injured on assignment and had quit to join Charlie with the dragons in Romania. Bill and Fleur – Harry _had_ seen that one coming. Obviously lessons to 'eemprove 'er Eenglesh' had developed into something more. Ginny was the only unattached Weasley, which had made her Harry's drinking partner on any occasion she could get out of Hogwarts. She could do so quite often, having been chosen as Head Girl and being as mischievous as the twins, and Harry made a very good Hangover Potion, not to mention being allowed into Hogwarts at any time. It was kind of disturbing how many of the students seemed to idolise him, especially First-years.

Dumbledore smiled. "Yes, I am quite looking forward to that year. The Weasleys always make things interesting. And with _two_ sets of twins..."

Harry grinned. Bill and Fleur had had twins, along with Fred and Angelina, within a few days of each other. Arthur and Molly must have been surprised about how many times they had been made grandparents within the space of about a month. St. Mungo's had never been busier. Harry, personally, had always found it highly amusing that the Maternity Ward was part of the Ward for 'Creature-induced Injuries'.

Harry turned his mind to the matter at hand, thinking away from his godchildren (Ron and Hermione had nabbed him first, then Fred and Angelina).

"You are sure about this? About my going back in time to do this?" Harry asked.

"I believe it will be most beneficial to you and me of that time. If I remember correctly, you were a most skilled and popular teacher. And you can hardly say you have never taught." Dumbledore told him.

That was true. Harry had run the DA for three years, before passing leadership onto Ginny. It was now an official school club. Harry had also made numerous guest speeches in History of Magic and DADA lessons over the past year. Apparently, his History of Magic lectures were the only ones the students paid attention to.

"I suppose. But what about everyone? I mean, they'll notice if I disappear for a year!"

"I will tell them, Harry. Unfortunately, your choice must be now, though." Dumbledore told him. "That's why I had you bring your belongings."

"WHAT?" Harry demanded. "I don't even have time to think about this?"

"Harry, it will take you exactly twenty-two years into the past. Today is the first day of school. You need to go now to be there in time." Dumbledore explained.

"And my condition?" Harry asked.

"I trust you not to go killing any students in the light of the full moon. The room that you use here is also there. You cannot help that a curse hit you. I have also found another book on the Deadly Curses."

"You mean something with actual information?" Harry asked. "I remember learning about them in Seventh-year. There was a chapter on them. A very _short_ chapter, with nothing more than a description of the spells and their effects. Does this have information on my condition?"

"Yes, it does. It also mentions that certain things change for the victims of it between and year and eighteen months after the spell is cast. That the spell completes its work."

Harry looked up sharply. "I haven't noticed any change other than the first ones."

"Then you will no doubt experience it within the next three months." Dumbledore told him.

"It's funny, if not for the full moon problems, the spell has had some very good side effects. But once the full moon hits... It's impossible to control. More controlled than a wolf, because of the way it feeds. It's more the lust..." Harry trailed off.

"Harry, you will be fine. I trust you now, and while I will be suspicious of you for a while in the past, I will come to trust you. Keep your name, otherwise it may cause trouble. You can say you were born and brought up in England, but moved to Canada when you were eleven, and attended Skirret School for Magical Learning. That is why you have no accent and are unknown. Understood?"

"Yes. But what if you check...?"

"Here." Dumbledore passed Harry some records. "Those will be enough proof."

"And Hedwig..."

"Will be in no trouble. In fact, I think she is vital to something, but I don't remember what." Dumbledore frowned.

Harry had been incredibly surprised when one day, Hedwig had just burst into flames to reveal a baby phoenix. Dumbledore had explained that this sometimes happened when the master of a familiar was so good and heroic. Harry had been surprised, he had never thought of himself as _that_ good. Even after the curse, Hedwig had stuck by Harry, and her healing tears were valuable. She was also unusual in that her tail-feathers, instead of being deep red or orange, were as white as her feathers when she was a snowy owl.

"Then, Professor Dumbledore, I accept." Harry sighed. "Any time for me to write a note?"

"Yes."

Harry swiftly scribbled off a note to Dobby – who had become Harry's own House-elf after Harry saved the elf's life – and another to the Weasleys as a whole, telling them to check with Dumbledore, that he would be perfectly safe and not to worry. He also said good luck to Ginny in getting a job.

"Are you ready then, Harry?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes."

"Then take this." He handed Harry a small, digital-looking clock.

"This is?"

"An advanced time-turner. You punch in the date you want to go to and the date you then want to return to before you leave. It will take you and your belongings, provided you are touching them – anything within a trunk is counted as touching them – to that time. When you leave, it will do the same, except you don't even have to be touching it." Dumbledore explained, showing Harry how to punch in the dates. "I recommend you leave it in your trunk while you are there. Don't want anyone else to find it."

Harry nodded. "So when will it activate?"

"In approximately one minute. It will place you outside the school. Since the actual journey takes some time – you are travelling over two decades – you will arrive some way through the start of term announcements before the feast begins." Dumbledore explained.

Harry nodded.

Just as the advanced time-turner activated, Harry would have sworn he heard Dumbledore say, "Oh, and don't be surprised if you get some company."

Harry had no time to ask as he was plunged backwards through time. Magical lights swirled about him in equally magical winds. He felt that he was turning, quicker and quicker, this way and that...

Before it stopped abruptly, and he fell ten yards through the air to land on the road before the Entrance Gate of Hogwarts. Harry grinned.

Quickly, he enlarged his trunk, and climbed in, securing the time-turner and changing into clothes he thought suitable. Of course, he was in a different time, with different fashions, but he didn't care. He pulled on black jeans and boots with a white shirt. A robe was hard to choose, but eventually he chose a black one with red and gold embroidery at the edges. He grinned at his reflection, he looked good enough. He glanced at the ring on his right middle finger. A gold band with a ruby sunk in the centre with Celtic knotwork surrounding it. No, he wasn't going to remove that.

His hair was still messy, but after getting it cut shorter, it was easier to spike up and looked less messy. His glasses were no longer needed after he was hit by that curse. It was one of the advantages, along with eagle-eyesight and perfect night-sight as well. He wasn't the tallest guy, malnutrition at the Dursleys' made his height (a still respectable) five foot ten. His wasn't an incredibly muscular build; his muscles were light, but well defined, giving him a sleek, cat-like air.

He grinned, and stepped out of his trunk, Hedwig on his shoulders.

"Ready to shock, girl?" He asked.

She nodded, understanding him perfectly. Sometimes, Harry swore there was telepathy between the two of them.

Harry headed into Hogwarts, his trunk no bigger than a matchbox in his pocket. It was a live-in trunk. In other words, he could literally live inside it. It had a library, a large bedroom, which had a number of magical foldaway beds, a bathroom, a kitchen, a living room, a 'garden' (or section of the countryside as Harry put it) and a duelling chamber. It fit his needs perfectly, and he had lived inside it before. He did have a house, but he wasn't always there. Dobby was though.

Harry entered, encountering nothing to stop him from doing so. He frowned. '_Shouldn't something have prevented me from doing so?_' He wondered.

And then he approached the Great Hall.

He heard Dumbledore's voice. "Unfortunately, due to a lack of candidates, the Defence Against the Dark Arts course is..."

The doors slammed open. Everyone turned to see a figure at the door in a dark robe, his face and body cast in shadow.

XXXXXXXXX

He took a step forward.

"Sorry, Professors, I was held up at home." The strange figure commented, entering into the light.

As he did so, a number of the girls gave sighs. The figure was young, handsome and exuded confidence. Some of the boys looked annoyed, while others looked impressed at the entrance.

Sirius Black, Seventh-year Gryffindor, nudged his best friend, James Potter. "Prongs, sure you haven't got a twin?"

James examined the man. "Sure. He's at least a couple of years older than me. Too old for a student. You think he's here for the Defence job?"

The figure heard this comment. "Well, some of you are right in your assumptions." He stated, silencing the whispers. "I would have been here and applied sooner, but unfortunately, there were problems with my last job and such. Some Aurors are pigs to work with." He stated, rather cheerfully, strolling up to the Head table. "I was hoping to apply as the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. Despite my youth, I am more than qualified to teach these people to battle Voldemort."

There were more whispers.

"How can he say the name?" A Sixth-year Gryffindor girl asked, shocked.

"Because he isn't scared of a name, that's why." Sirius replied.

"Ah, I see I've caused another stir." He grinned. "I'm good at that. Annoyed some of my teachers to no end at school."

"Which school was this?" Dumbledore asked.

"Skirret in Canada, but I'm British-born. Moved there when I was nearly eleven." He replied.

"And your name?"

"Oh yes, I should have said that before. I'm Harry, Professor Dumbledore. Harry James Potter."

XXXXXXX

Okay, so what do you think? Yep, Harry may be a little OOC, but that may happen quite a lot in this fic. With different characters. I'll do my best, but they're that much older and Voldemort's dead, so they're going to be a bit less reserved.

This is sort of as a sorry, because I haven't finished the next chapter of 'Curses, Prophecies and the Elemental Guardians'. Bit of a block on that one, unfortunately.

Anyway, here it is. My second HP fic, and a Harry/Ginny pairing. My pairings vary, by the way. But this is Harry/Ginny.

What do you think?

Reviews are greatly appreciated!

Lol, Tanydwr


	2. Chapter 2: Reactions

Okay. A new chapter. This is again, a semi-apology for not posting up the next chapter of 'Curses, Prophecies and the Elemental Guardians'. Unfortunately, I have severe writer's block for the current chapter. I know where I want to go, it's just getting there that's the problem.  
  
But do not worry. This fic will continue to be posted as well. I will not abandon it. And there is a bit of characters being somewhat OOC in this fic. Mainly Harry, Ginny and McGonagall, for some strange reason. You also find out what Harry's 'condition' is. Funnily enough, no one mentioned that before. Oh well!  
  
Read and enjoy!  
  
**Chapter 2: Reactions  
**  
The talk that met the young man's announcement was startling. Potter? The Potters had no other sons, nor did they have any distant relations.  
  
"Any relation to Mr. James Potter?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"No. My father was Muggle-born. It's quite a common name." The man replied.  
  
"And your mother?"  
  
"Pureblood."  
  
"What of your qualifications?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"Oh, those?" The newcomer – Harry Potter – grinned, handing a sheaf of parchment to the headmaster. "Eight OWLs, six NEWTs. Passed DADA with the highest grade in my school for twenty-one years." Harry explained. It was strange, but Harry's father had in fact held the highest score previous to that. "Os in Potions, Basic Healing, Charms, Transfiguration and Herbology."  
  
"The guy must have been a swot in school." Sirius muttered to James.  
  
"Your parents?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"What about them?" Harry's friendly tone became harder.  
  
"Who are they?"  
  
"They are dead. It doesn't matter. They died shortly after our arrival in Canada. At the hands of the one they wished to escape."  
  
"Voldemort?"  
  
"The same. I must say, having a Dark Lord wanting you dead does wonders for your schoolwork." He gave a grin.  
  
"Why does he want you dead?"  
  
"God only knows. Do I get the job? If not, I'm gonna have to go and tell everyone that I'll be living in my trunk for the next year."  
  
"I believe, Headmaster, that if Mr Potter wishes to gain the job, that he should provide us with a demonstration." A woman commented coolly.  
  
Harry whipped around to look at her. He examined her in seconds. Cold attitude, detached expression, hair worn severely up in a knot. Pretty if she attempted to be.  
  
"Potions mistress." Harry stated before thinking.  
  
People gasped. How did he know that?  
  
"You are correct, Mr Potter. My name is Professor Videl." The woman explained, rising. "With your permission, headmaster?"  
  
"Certainly, Denara." The headmaster smiled.  
  
"Do you accept?" The woman turned to Harry.  
  
The young man grinned recklessly. The students were puzzled, their Potions Mistress was an expert dueller, why was he so confident.  
  
"Certainly, Ms. Videl." He smiled. "Question is, do you?"  
  
She looked at him strangely.  
  
"_Protego fortensa_!" Harry cried directing the spell to each side. A dome shimmered then disappeared. "That way no students will be hit with stray spells." He smiled.  
  
The potions mistress raised a brow, and then strode to the centre of the room. They bowed, took ten paces from the centre and turned. And waited.  
  
It was as though they were having a staring contest. Neither moved, neither gave any hint of what they were going to do. Then, suddenly:  
  
"_Stupefy_!" Videl yelled.  
  
"_Protego_!" Harry countered, and shot to the side, before shooting off, "_Petrificus totalus_!"  
  
Videl hit the floor and rolled out of the way, shooting off her own spell. "_Immobulus_!"  
  
Harry again dodged, but as he did so incanted, "_Confundus_!"  
  
For a moment everyone looked surprised, what would a confusion spell do in a duel?  
  
"_Protego_!" Videl blocked it, and gave a sly smile at Harry. "Come on, you can do better than that."  
  
Harry was struck by the memory – Sirius falling through the veil... _'No, that was three years ago, you will not think of it!'_ He ordered himself, and looked at his opponent. "You know, the last person I heard say that died at the hands of his Death Eater cousin." He glared at the woman. "He was my godfather. I'd advise you _never_ to say it." And then he twisted strangely, dodging her silently cast hex, and before anyone knew it, held a knife to the potions mistress's throat.  
  
People stared, how on Earth had he beaten her? She was the best!  
  
"And people tend to forget the power of Muggle means to a magical problem. Not that swords and daggers are Muggle. Just a little archaic to a lot of people." Harry shrugged. "Do you yield?"  
  
She struggled, trying to shoot off a curse, before realising that her wand had gone from her hand and she was effectively pinned. "Yes. I can't believe that was over so quickly with such simple curses."  
  
"Me too. Any time you want a rematch, call me. That did nothing to help. Man, I wish Ginny were here. She's the only other person who can beat me."  
  
"_Other_ person?" Dumbledore enquired as Harry removed the shield.  
  
"Than Voldemort. Maybe a couple of his Death Eaters." Harry shrugged, unaware of the awe these students now held him in.  
  
"Give me a definition of the Deadly Curses." Dumbledore asked.  
  
"Curses as bad as the Unforgivables. In my opinion, they should be classed as such, but instead these are seven curses held under the name of the Deadly Curses. It is thought that they correspond to the Seven Deadly Sins, as it is all but one correspond with the traditional seven. There is the Lust Curse, permanent, which causes the victim to become a vampire every full moon, barely capable of controlling bloodlust and sexual lust. The victims are known as Moonlight Vampires, however, provided they are contained every full moon, they are perfectly safe, and the curse gives them some advantages that I will not detail now. There is the Bestial Curse, again it is permanent, which turns the victim into a werewolf. This is believed to be the origin of the first werewolf, but a side effect of the curse was once the werewolf bit someone, they gained the problem, until it became more of a disease. Most werewolves carry the condition via a bite, not the curse. The curse actually gives a werewolf more control over the form – the transformations are less violent unless it can smell human blood. There is the Wrath Curse, a temporary curse which causes the victim to feel completely blind rage against anyone or thing. While in it's thrall, the victim may kill their most beloved, not knowing what it is doing. There is also the Envy Curse, Pride Curse, Sloth Curse and Gluttony Curse. In affect, all of the curses will drive the victim to the point of committing heinous crimes, usually killing. The Sloth Curse is a little different in that it is more likely to be used to stop a person from paying attention to, or even caring about crimes going on around them."  
  
Dumbledore blinked. The first three were very detailed. "You seem to know a lot about the curses."  
  
"That I do. Do I get the job?"  
  
Dumbledore smiled. "Yes, I think that can be arranged. Everyone, greet the knew Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Potter."  
  
Harry grinned as the students applauded.  
  
"So, what's for dinner?" He asked amongst laughter.  
  
# # #  
  
"So, what do you think of the new DADA professor?" James asked Remus as he entered the Gryffindor tower, a group of First-years trailing him. "Boys dorms up the staircase on the left, door saying First-years, conveniently enough. Girls, same on the right."  
  
The First-years left, scrambling up to their dorms.  
  
"He seemed good. The way he was rolling off that definition of the Deadly Curses was amazing. And he was so quick in that duel. It's nice to see someone use a different form of fighting. Fencing is sadly out of use." Remus replied.  
  
"Yes, Moony, we all know you like using swords to whack people with." Sirius smirked.  
  
Remus rolled his eyes. "That is _not_ the purpose of fencing, and you know it, Sirius Black."  
  
At that moment, a redhead with vibrant green eyes entered. James jerked up involuntarily and stopped.  
  
"Where are the First-years, James?" Lily Evans, the Head Girl, asked. She had deigned to call him by his first name at the end of the previous year, provided he did the same.  
  
"In their dorms, Lily." James frowned, looking at her strangely. "Where did you think they were?"  
  
Lily raised a brow. "I was merely making sure. I'm surprised there wasn't a prank from the Marauders at the start of term feast."  
  
Sirius gasped. "I can't believe we forgot!"  
  
"We didn't, Padfoot, it was to prevent McGonagall from killing me before I had a chance to prove I can do a good job. However, we now need to prank the new professor." James grinned.  
  
"Are you sure he isn't related to you?" Lily asked, sitting down on a nearby sofa.  
  
"Don't have any Harrys in our family. There's Uncle Harold, the Auror, he died last year." James looked sober for a moment. The loss of his favourite uncle had struck him hard. "But that's the only one I know. Certainly no one like him. Plus, he doesn't wear glasses."  
  
"Maybe he's got those magical lenses. Like the Aurors use." Sirius suggested.  
  
"What, you mean like Mad-Eye?" James grinned. "Maybe. He did mention something about working with Aurors. Hopefully, he'll be good at Defence. We've got the NEWTs this year, and I've got to get top grades."  
  
"Why, to fuel your ego?" Lily asked.  
  
"No. I want to be an Auror. I need top grades in Defence, Charms, Potions and Transfiguration. That's also why I'm doing Basic Healing, you need an E in that. I chose Care of Magical Creatures because I enjoy it." James responded.  
  
Lily looked surprised. She hadn't expected him to go for something so serious. "Oh."  
  
"Yes, oh."  
  
"What are you planning to do, Lily?" Remus asked.  
  
"Healing. Same classes as those for an Auror, funnily enough. Sometimes Dark Spells are placed on patients to keep them from being healed. I chose Herbology instead, though." Lily explained.  
  
"Lily!" A voice called.  
  
"Hey, Pia. Where'd you disappear to?" Lily asked.  
  
"Oh, I had to ask McGonagall something. She was talking to the new professor. There's something weird about him."  
  
"What?" James asked.  
  
"His eyes for one. I've never seen anyone except Lily's mum with the same eyes as Lily. And this guy has them, just with a little less lash." She grinned. "And there's something in the way he moved around school. Supposedly, he's never been here, but he seems pretty confident with where he's going. And he even seems to know some of the teachers, yet he's never met them. And how on Earth did he identify Videl as the Potions Mistress?"  
  
"Maybe he checked out a roster of the teaching staff before he got here." Lily suggested. "It can't be hard. If you really want to know, ask him in our first Defence lesson."  
  
James frowned. "You've got a point, Lily, but so has Pia. I mean, he seemed so confident with where he was. And that shielding spell? I've heard of that. It requires a hell of a lot of power to complete. And a set of runes. And yet he built one successfully in seconds with the mere incantation."  
  
"Well, that decides it." Sirius rubbed his hands together gleefully. "We've got our own little mystery to solve in the form of Harry Potter, Defence Professor."  
  
# # #  
  
The young man in question was currently working out where to teach. The room of the previous Defence teacher was too small, and it was not the one he himself was used to. Instead, he chose the rooms at the bottom of one of the towers, the room he was used to. The office was beside the tower room, and his private rooms were within the tower, including a room needed for his condition.  
  
Professor Dumbledore frowned at the young man, wondering why he was asking for the use of a completely bare room.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore, I have to tell you this first. In battle against Voldemort at the end of my last school year, I was struck by one of the Deadly Curses." Harry explained.  
  
"The Lust Curse." Dumbledore nodded. "You don't show the signs of being a werewolf."  
  
Harry nodded. "It has its advantages. I'm stronger, faster, more resistant to disease, I can keep going for longer, and my senses are sharper. Unfortunately, it also means I'm out of commission every full moon. I must be locked in this room from sunset to sunrise – moonrise to set is too risky. You must prevent anyone from entering the room, I'm unable to control the vampire within myself. Since I was struck at the end of June last year, there are apparently a number of changes that will happen to me. I am unaware of what, only that it will cement the curse. Unfortunately, if I am released on the night of the full moon, I cannot control my actions. I could kill students or worse." He looked down. The bloodlust was bad enough, but the sexual lust of the curse was even more uncontrollable.  
  
"Then we will merely have to keep you locked up on full moons. Second Dark Creature at the school, how interesting." Dumbledore frowned.  
  
"I assume you are speaking of Mr Lupin?" Harry asked.  
  
"How did you...?"  
  
"I could smell it. Werewolves, even in their normal, human form, have a distinct smell. The boy was bitten by one who was struck by the Bestial Curse, which is interesting." Harry frowned.  
  
"Yes. I have never met a Moonlight Vampire before, you'll have to tell me about it." Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling. "These rooms are for your office, classroom, and private rooms. I hope they will be suitable."  
  
"Yes, they will." Harry smiled. "Thank you, Professor."  
  
"We're colleagues, Mr. Potter, call me Albus." He smiled.  
  
"Harry." The young man grinned.  
  
At that moment he heard a sound and a beautiful phoenix with white tail- feathers appeared.  
  
"Hedwig!" Harry cried. "Why didn't you appear at the feast, eh? Could've shocked the students even more."  
  
Dumbledore raised his brows. "Dark Creature with Light. That's unusual."  
  
"Hedwig was with me before I was struck by the Curse. She didn't desert me. She was originally my owl, but changed in my Sixth-year." Harry explained. He kept as much of what he said as truth to avoid being caught out by lies.  
  
Dumbledore's eyes just twinkled. "Very well. You'll find out your own timetable tomorrow morning, since we hadn't prepared for a teacher as such. I was going to have to take the lessons along with other teachers, dependant on our own timetables. Your arrival makes this much easier. Now all that needs to be done is organise a guardian and a password to your new rooms."  
  
Harry grinned. He had a feeling that he was going to enjoy this year.  
  
# # #  
  
A/N: So how was that? Any good? I love feedback, y'know.  
  
Anyway, to my lovely reviewers...  
  
I can't believe I had 15 of you for my first chapter! That the most I think I've ever had for a first chapter. Might be wrong, but I think so!  
  
mrsmunkee: Glad you like Hedwig as a phoenix. It just fits, y'know? And yeah, Harry's OOCness is because of the whole prophecy over thing. Besides, he's only a little OOC. Thanks for the review!  
  
Kandice: Thanks!  
  
Yoshikuni-Miharu: Well you got the reaction. Ginny will be there soon enough, but there's at least another two chapters... James and Lily, well, they'll find out what they need to know. (That translates to I'm not telling you nothing! Sorry about the double negative, but it seems to fit!)  
  
Rhyllen: That's blackmail! Anyway, here's the update. _Chuckles evilly  
_  
Hermione1989: I'll continue, see? Should be reasonably long, but I'm still forming plot ideas! How awful of me!  
  
justblue: Thankee kindly.  
  
waffleshouse: Glad you think so! And cool name by the way.  
  
Zekintha: Last dialogue, yeah, I liked that too!  
  
Fanfic-Frankie: Thank you!  
  
NathanPostmark: Where did you get that name? Cheers anyway!  
  
Fragmentpieces: Damn I'm running out of ways to say thanks. Er... Ta!  
  
meenyrocks: I have no idea how I get these ideas. But they aren't so much plot bunnies as plot tornadoes!  
  
rebekah1: Merci?! (Trying to say thanks without repeating myself!)  
  
Joeyperson: What does rawkin' mean? I need to know! Now! Anyway, er... gracias!  
  
Heather: You want Harry to die in book 7? Doesn't that defeat the whole object of the series! That's utterly, utterly evil. And no, I haven't lost your penname... _Grins evilly  
_  
Thanks to all of you! Now, I would love more feedback, especially about Harry's 'condition'. More will be explained in the next chapter – lessons. Yay!  
  
'Til next week, when I should be updating Curses, and maybe the other fics (BtVS/HP crossovers, both).  
  
Okay?  
  
Toodles (to quote Heather).  
  
Lol, Tanydwr 


	3. Chapter 3: Teaching

Okay, so this chapter sees the teaching, and you finally discover more about the Deadly Curses. I hope you like them. I've pretty much made them up, though I got some ideas from other fics, which I read ages ago and can't remember, but thanks to them!  
  
Anyway, enjoy, and I'll talk at the end.  
  
**Chapter 3: Teaching  
**  
The next morning saw James Potter wake up incredibly confused. Where was he? Where were the others? It took him about five minutes to orientate himself and remember he was in the Heads' Tower, where he and Lily had bedrooms, common room and bathroom to themselves.  
  
Groaning, he got out of bed, predicting that Sirius and Peter would probably miss breakfast without him there to help Remus wake them up. It was a two-man job. He walked into the bathroom in boxers and a t-shirt, wearily rubbing sleep from his eyes under his glasses.  
  
"Aargh!" There was a shriek and a flash of red hair.  
  
"You alright, Li...?" James began, a little worried, before realising that she had been taking a shower at the time and was now only wearing a towel. "Oh."  
  
"Oh? You walk in on me in the shower and all you can say is 'oh'?" Lily demanded, her voice dangerously quiet.  
  
"It wasn't deliberate. We ought to work out some way around this. A rota for showering or something. Or else, the room ought to separate showers, toilets and basins for male and female use." He spoke, almost hinting to the castle.  
  
As he did, the castle heard, and Lily gave another shriek as her shower stall disappeared and then reappeared next to the door that came from her bedroom. A tiled wall separated the area from the rest of the bathroom, as it did for James' area. The bath was still a similar size to an Olympic swimming pool, but in the middle.  
  
"That's better." James grinned. "Sorry, Lily, my dad told me about the shower and everything being next to each other. I was too tired to get it to rearrange itself last night. Won't happen again."  
  
"Well at least I can shower without that picture perving on me!" She replied.  
  
James stuck his head out and saw a fairly large painting of an under the sea landscape with four Mediterranean merpeople in the scene. They seemed to be playing some sort of game. One of the mermaids, a blonde, grinned at him.  
  
"Don't worry, we won't tell anyone what we see you do in here." She raised her voice so Lily could hear.  
  
James went scarlet. "You won't be seeing anything." He told the portrait sharply.  
  
The chestnut-haired mermen smirked. "Yeah, because you can keep your hands off a body like _that_." He had to be referring to Lily.  
  
"And she can keep her hands off yours." The dark-haired mermaid giggled.  
  
The final merman, a redhead, told him in a wicked voice. "They all say that. And in the end, there's always something that happens. Not always between them, but there have been others invited in. But I don't think you two will last very long."  
  
Lily, now dressed in jeans and shirt, appeared and glared at the painting's members. "You've got to be joking, that's _Potter_."  
  
"I thought we were on first-name terms." James raised a brow, smirking ever so slightly.  
  
"In this context, it's better to call you Potter." Lily smiled sweetly at him, and then glared at the painting again. "That is _not_ going to happen!"  
  
"Uh-huh." The blonde mermaid giggled.  
  
The brunette and redhead exchanged glances. "There's chemistry."  
  
Lily and James looked appalled (James had been trying to get over his crush for the past year by denying it). "Argh!" They both complained and retreated into their selected areas.  
  
The merpeople smirked at each other. "Oh, I think we're gonna get gossip here."  
  
# # #  
  
Lily and James entered the Great Hall early, both in bad moods. As they swept in, they both bumped into the new DADA professor.  
  
"Bad day already?" He asked, looking between them, surprised.  
  
"Of all the paintings in the castle, our bathroom had to have the one with airheaded merpeople!" Lily fumed.  
  
"Who are now going to gossip about every single thing that happens in that bath, normal or not." James looked annoyed.  
  
"There shouldn't be anything happening in there other than bathing." The professor pointed out.  
  
"We _know_ that. It's just... the suggestion that we might do something _else_ that bugs me." Lily snarled.  
  
"And me. I mean, come on, _what_ is going to happen in the bath?" James asked.  
  
The professor smirked. "A lot of interesting things can happen in a bath. Just be careful Moaning Myrtle doesn't end up in there. I heard a rumour in the staff-room that she's a bit lonely."  
  
James and Lily stared at him.  
  
"What?" He asked. "I'm only nineteen, I'm allowed to listen to rumours, torment students and generally wreak havoc. After all, I was famous for doing that at school. Not that I tormented anyone on purpose, of course. It's just, well, hexing me in a bad mood isn't a good idea. Nor is it sensible to insult my friends." He looked annoyed for some reason, then shook his head. "Sorry, I actually wanted to say well done on being Head Boy and Girl, good luck with the position and have a good first day. For a Friday, it's a good day. You've got me this afternoon. Good luck."  
  
He walked away.  
  
"Okay, is it just me, or is he rather odd?" Lily asked.  
  
"Just a little." James agreed. "Come on, I'm hungry."  
  
# # #  
  
Harry grinned, the first three lessons of the day had gone very well. (A/N: Five lessons a day, each an hour, one, half hour break, two more, hour for lunch, two more.) Now he just had the Seventh-years – all of those who qualified for NEWT Defence Against the Dark Arts – for a double period Friday afternoon.  
  
Of course, he had lunch first.  
  
"So, Professor Potter, how were your first lessons?" McGonagall asked him.  
  
"Harry, please." He grinned.  
  
"Then it is Minerva."  
  
"Yup! I'd say the lessons went well. The Gryffindor third-years were impressed by my knowledge of Dark Creatures. Since I haven't been able to procure any Boggarts yet, we were just doing an overview of the course. Slytherin first-years were reasonable, but they need to learn to watch their tongues." He scowled at this. "And the Ravenclaw Fifth-years were good. We're reviewing everything from the past four years they were supposed to have learnt." Harry explained.  
  
Minerva smiled. "Yes, the Ravenclaws are good students, if a little... overly-studious. The Slytherins do have tendencies to shoot their mouths off. You haven't encountered any Hufflepuffs yet?"  
  
"Not especially."  
  
"They are exceptionally hard-working. Very loyal, they're quite bright, despite some of what is put round by other houses. Now the Gryffindors." Minerva shook her head. "Some of them are very bright. But there's the bravery factor, coupled with recklessness, and several troublemakers."  
  
"The Marauders. Albus told me." Harry's eyes danced.  
  
"Yes, they are rather... exuberant in their display of pranks. Potter, Black and Lupin are very smart, I daresay, top of their classes, especially Potter. Often fighting with Miss Evans for that spot." McGonagall smiled.  
  
"There seems to be a rather... unusual relationship there." Harry told her, and recounted their comments at breakfast time.  
  
"You're supposed to teach the students, not mentally scar them with suggestions of ghosts watching them as they bathe." Minerva reprimanded him. "And I don't remember that rumour."  
  
"There wasn't one, I made it up." Harry smirked.  
  
"What? How do you know about her?"  
  
"I know a lot of things about this castle." Harry told her mysteriously. "Actually, Moaning Myrtle's more likely to end up in the Prefects' Bathroom."  
  
Minerva just stared at him. "There is something very odd about you, Harry Potter." She informed him shamelessly.  
  
"I know. People have been trying to decipher what it is for years." Harry smirked. "Some aren't at all close, and others... Well, Ginny was nearly there, but then she might have just been flirting with me."  
  
"Ginny?" Minerva raised a brow.  
  
Harry wondered, for a moment, whether his comments about Ginny now were the reason that McGonagall had constantly suspected them of being in a broom closet snogging during his seventh-year. They had certainly ended up out of the tower after curfew enough times, and been caught.  
  
"My best friend's little sister. She's a great friend, skilled witch, fiery temper, but then she's a redhead. And an uncontrollable flirt."  
  
Minerva raised a brow. "What colour hair did your mother have?" She asked unexpectedly.  
  
"Red." Harry replied without really thinking about it.  
  
"I think it must be something about Potters, no matter whether they are descended from ancient bloodlines or from Muggle-borns. The men love redheads." She shook her head.  
  
"Why do you say that?"  
  
"Your father went for a redhead, you say. James Potter, the Head Boy, has been crushing on Lily Evans since his Fifth-year, everyone knows it, though he's trying to deny it. His mother and grandmother were both redheads. He didn't stand a chance." She looked at Harry and smirked, he'd never seen his professor smirk at him like that, but then she only looked to be in her thirties at the moment. "And now you, another Potter, of no relation, though the looks are uncanny, are flirting with a redhead, who, since you have mentioned her a number of times, you obviously like."  
  
"Of course I do, she's a friend of mine." Harry replied.  
  
"I've heard that line before, Potter. It doesn't work." Minerva told him, a glint in her eye. "And did anyone ever mention that once upon a time, I caused my teachers nearly as much hell as the Marauders? Ask Albus if you don't believe me."  
  
Harry's eyes widened. "I will."  
  
(A/N: I know Minerva may be a little OOC, but she's that much younger. And I've always seen her as secretly being a bit less stern than she appears – she definitely has a soft spot for Hermione and Harry. Plus the whole Umbridge thing. She was definitely wicked during that.)  
  
# # #  
  
The Seventh-years entered the DADA classroom, unaware of what was going to occur that lesson. As soon as they all entered and placed their bags down, the room was plunged into darkness and they all felt themselves shoved to one side of the room.  
  
As this happened, a number of students pulled out wands.  
  
"Lumos!" Lily Evans' voice cried out, intermingled with that of James Potter.  
  
"What is it?" Peter Pettigrew whimpered.  
  
"The light works, so it's not a Moses' Darkness spell." Sirius reasoned, illuminating the tip of his own wand.  
  
"You are correct, Mr Black. The spell is a temporary spell known as the Eclipse Charm. It lasts for five minutes, or until someone says the countercharm. Finite obscurato." The charm ended, and everyone found themselves at their desks once more, stood up. "Take your seats. Oh, and that's fifteen points to Gryffindor. Ten for Miss Evans and Mr Potter's wise thinking in lighting their wands and five for Mr Black's use of deduction in attempting to ascertain the origin of the spell." He blinked. "Okay, I start talking like that again, tell me. I've spent way too much time around academics as well as Aurors. At least the Aurors had a better vocabulary." He grinned at them. "Anyway, today's just going to be a review lesson, I want to know what you've done, and then we're starting on the Deadly Curses, a subject I know a lot about." He surveyed the class. "Ah, Mr Snape. How far has this class progressed in learning about Dark Creatures?"  
  
"We have learnt the basic creatures studied in third-year, along with Dark Creatures such as Lethifolds, Dementors and Nundus, as well as the ways in which to defend against these creatures." Snape replied promptly, surprising Harry.  
  
"You've learnt the Patronus Charm?" Harry asked, surprised.  
  
"We've learnt of it, but not all of us can successfully produce one." Snape replied, sneering somewhat.  
  
"Who can produce a Patronus? Raise hands." Harry ordered. Four students. James, Lily, Remus and Snape. "Are these corporeal?" They nodded in the affirmative. "Good. The Patronus Charm is the only defence against Dementors and Lethifolds, and believe me, you do not want to be stuck with a Dementor and no Patronus." He looked sober for a moment. "We'll be reviewing that at a later date. Defensive Charms? Mr Pettigrew?" Harry's lit with something akin to malice for a second, before dissipating. Only Lily noticed it, and she wondered why he should feel malicious to a student he'd never met before.  
  
"W-we've covered patronuses, shield charms and basic counter-charms and jinxes."  
  
"Curses? Black?"  
  
"Only the basic curses. We've yet to cover the Unforgivables, Deadly Curses and Dark Curses, or the counters to them."  
  
Harry found out that while they had learnt a lot of the course, they were sorely behind on the kind of curses they would face in the fight against Voldemort. He needed to correct this, as well as teach them the assigned material and some of the more powerful forms of defence.  
  
"Very well. First, I want you to write an essay on all the spells, charms, jinxes, hexes, curses, anything, that you know and how they could be used in battle situations. I recommend doing them in categories and alphabetical order. Minimum of one roll of parchment, you've got until the first lesson of October to complete it." He informed them. "And now, the first section of this term will be concentrating on Curses. And we'll start off on the Deadly Curses. Firstly, does anyone know what the Curses are?"  
  
Several hands were raised.  
  
"Yes, uh, Kirrin?" Harry asked a blonde Ravenclaw.  
  
"The Deadly Curses are seven curses of which all but one correspond to the classic Seven Deadly Sins. The Sin of Greed is replaced by the Bestial Curse within the curses. The Seven Deadly Curses are those of Lust, Bestial, Wrath, Sloth, Gluttony, Envy and Pride." Kirrin replied.  
  
"Correct, five point to Ravenclaw. Which of the Curses are permanent and cannot be removed by any known remedy? Yes, Evans?"  
  
"The Bestial and Lust Curses are permanent. Wrath and Sloth are temporary, rarely lasting more than a few minutes and the affects will never last longer than an hour. Pride is a longer-lasting curse, as are Gluttony and Envy, they take one or two days to reach their climax, but wear off after a few days." Lily replied.  
  
"Very good, a little more than I was expecting." He joked. Lily blushed as there were titters about the class. "But very good, ten points to Gryffindor."  
  
"Typical, the little Mudblood thinks she knows everything." A voice snarled.  
  
"Five points from Slytherin, Nott." Harry told him without looking in his direction. He surveyed the class. "Something I forgot to mention. If I hear one word of bigotry, racism or the suggestion of pureblood being best, you will lose points. Use the word 'Mudblood'," he spat out the word as though it were poison, "and you will automatically lose five points. For every time you use it after that, the number of points you lose will be doubled. I recommend you cease to use that term. Next time I hear you say it, Mr Nott, you will lose ten points. Then twenty, and so on after that. Do I make myself clear?" He looked around the class.  
  
Some members looked pleased, Lily, several others he assumed were Muggle- born, along with the Marauders, who he knew had no tolerance for that kind of treatment. Others – the Slytherins – looked angry.  
  
"In this class we are all equal. Blood and heredity do not matter, neither does money and wealth. For some, a wealth of love and family is far more valuable than a wealth of money." Harry looked sincere. "Talent, willingness to learn, hard work and listening will get you by in this class. Not money, blood or bribery. Understood?"  
  
A murmured "Understood," came from the class.  
  
"Good. Then let's get back to the lesson then." He smiled brightly. "Mr Lupin, what do you know of the Bestial Curse?" Harry asked.  
  
"It is a permanent curse that afflicts people with lycanthropy. They become a werewolf every full moon. Should they smell human blood, they will bite the human and thus pass on the affliction. Those afflicted by the curse suffer more pain during the transformation, but find it easier to control the wolf during the full moon, however, should they even catch a whiff of human blood, they are far more active in their search for it." Remus replied, looking tired.  
  
Harry nodded. "Correct, five points. The Sloth Curse? Miss McKinnon?"  
  
"The Sloth Curse is temporary, it lasts for an hour at most. It causes the victim to become incredibly lazy and apathetic, they do not respond to things around them, someone they love could be murdered before them and they would not bother to stop it. They remember what happened though, and once the curse is removed, are frequently struck by a heightened sense of guilt, because they always feel that they _could_ have done something, despite the fact they are powerless to do so." Mary McKinnon answered, sister to Marlene McKinnon, a member of the Order of the Phoenix who was murdered.  
  
"Correct, take five points. It seems this class has read the material first." He grinned, but then noticed some students at the back. He scowled. "Of course others see fit to _not concentrate_." He was struck that he sounded like Snape of the future, but shrugged it off. "Mr Lestrange, tell me, what does the Envy Curse do?"  
  
"The Envy Curse causes a person to be filled with envy of another person, usually chosen by the caster. It takes one or two days to build up, but then it reaches the critical point and the victim snaps and will take what they want. If they are jealous of someone's home, they will take it. If it is their wife, they'll take her. They will kill anyone who gets in their way. The curse is particularly effective because it doesn't show up in routine inspections; therefore the victim is more likely to be seen as the perpetrator of the crime." Rabastan Lestrange sneered. He was the younger brother of Rodolphus Lestrange by a number of years, but a Death Eater nonetheless.  
  
"Five points, in many ways that curse is far worse than the Lust or Bestial Curses because the victims of those become a different entity and retain no memory of what they have done in their transformed state." Harry looked rather disgusted. "The Wrath Curse, anyone?"  
  
Sirius raised his hand.  
  
"Black?"  
  
"The Wrath Curse lasts for a few minutes, and its effects completely dissipate after an hour. It fills the victim with unspeakable rage, they strike out at any and everyone they see, feeling that striking out at them will make them feel better. They will blindly strike out at anyone, unable to recognise who they harm. Dark Wizards are famed for having used it centuries ago to dispel the ranks of good. One furious wizard can cause a lot of damage within a few minutes."  
  
"Another five points. That's correct. The Pride Curse, anyone?"  
  
A brunette from Ravenclaw answered. "The Pride Curse plays on a person's vanities. It is like the Envy Curse in that it takes longer to reach the critical point. The trigger is usually an insult of some kind, where the victim becomes filled with fury at being insulted and distinctly arrogant, they are consumed by the need for vengeance upon this supposed slight and will gain the powers of the Veela, who are prideful creatures – they begin to shoot fire. A modified version of the spell makes it permanent and the victim becomes a Veela."  
  
"Ten points, knowledge of the modified version is rare." Harry smiled. "Does anyone know about the Gluttony Curse?"  
  
"It turns the victim into a hoarder. They don't just crave and eat food, they hoard everything, money, possessions, anything they desire, they take. They become completely self-absorbed and end up killing anyone who prevents them in their acquisition of goods. Often this is used with specific goods in mind, the caster impresses a desired document or rare magical item in the victim's mind. The victim takes it, harming or killing anyone who gets in the way. The curse is removed once they get the item, and the victim left to feel immense guilt and that they have helped the enemy." Snape answered.  
  
"Correct, five points. Now the last curse, the Lust Curse, is similar to the modified Pride Curse, known as the Pride of Vanity Curse, and the Bestial Curse. In what ways?"  
  
James Potter answered. "The curse changes the victim into another creature at some point of the month and is permanent. It is more similar to the Bestial Curse because the victim becomes a Dark Creature at the full moon, as well as carrying on certain traits of the creature to the wizard or witch's human form."  
  
"Correct. Every full moon the victims of the Lust Curse become what are known as Moonlight Vampires. The only difference between their human forms and vampire forms physically is the addition of fangs and their eyes. You can know a Moonlight Vampire for the red fire that floods their irises, obscuring their true colour. Unlike normal vampires, a Moonlight Vampire's lust for blood is much stronger. They do not take the time to lure or seduce their victim, they are less subtle. They take what they want. The bloodlust is insatiable. And of course, the sexual lust is as bad, if not worse. Should they come upon a human of the opposite gender, they will quench their lust before the need for blood. That is one of the reasons they are often shunned, many believe that the sexual lust carries on and that they are untrustworthy. That is untrue. However, a Moonlight Vampire cannot control his or her actions during the full moon, nor do they remember what they do. The same is true for werewolves of any sort. The main difference between Moonlight Vampires and true vampires is the fact that Moonlight Vampires are normal humans most of the month. They do not die in sunlight, a stake through the heart will not turn them into ashes, though it might make them bleed a lot. Holy water will not burn them, neither will a cross and they can still eat garlic bread if they wish. They do, however, maintain some of the advantages. They are stronger, faster, suppler than normal humans, they have more stamina, their senses are sharper. There are few ways to tell a Moonlight Vampire in their human form unless they display those skills, whereas werewolves are easier to tell, usually because of approach of the full moon. They will get more tired and more irritable as the wolf rises. Many werewolves die young from the pain of the transformations. Moonlight Vampires do display certain factors, such as being easy to irritate and they tend to examine members of the opposite sex much more than usual. Any questions?"  
  
"How do you know so much about Moonlight Vampires and the Lust Curse?" One of the Slytherin girls asked.  
  
"Experience. Voldemort has used it before. I did some research into it. The Ministry of Magic's harsh rules on employment for people afflicted with lycanthropy or vampirism means that some will go to Voldemort's side because he is offering them a better deal."  
  
"Why do you call the Dark Lord by his name?" Nott asked.  
  
"Because I am not scared of him. Saying his name will not bring him down upon you, otherwise I'd have died years ago. One point from Slytherin. Within this classroom, you will refer to him as Voldemort, Tom Riddle, Riddle or Tom."  
  
"Why Tom Riddle?" James asked.  
  
"Because that is the name Voldemort was born with. It really annoys him if you call him that though." He looked thoughtful for a moment.  
  
"How did you know Professor Videl was the Potions Mistress?" Lily asked.  
  
Harry grinned. "There must be a penchant for those who teach potions to be severe. My old teacher was extremely harsh, but he hated me because he hated my father, which was kind of unfair. He was a biased bigot, but don't tell him I said that." He had to enjoy insulting Snape when he didn't know it was him. "He didn't even lighten up when I got into NEWT Potions, which I was a little annoyed about."  
  
"Are you related to Jamie here?" Sirius asked, his voice loud.  
  
Their professor laughed. "Unless my father isn't who I thought he was, no. He's not my brother, cousin or anything else."  
  
"Father?" Sirius asked.  
  
"It'd be a medical miracle since I'm nineteen and he's seventeen. He wasn't even conceived at the time." Harry smirked wickedly.  
  
James groaned. "Between Professor Potter and Sirius, I think I'll be insane by the time the year is out." He confided in Lily, who was sat next to him by some off chance.  
  
"Ah, poor ickle Jamesie." Lily teased.  
  
"Hey!" James protested.  
  
Lily grinned at him.  
  
"Maybe you're his son from twenty-odd years in the future, come back to teach us DADA because Dumbledore told you we didn't have a teacher and you need a break after defeating Voldemort." Sirius suggested, then added thoughtfully, "Oh yeah, and Lily-flower is your mum."  
  
"SIRIUS!" James and Lily roared in unison.  
  
Harry clutched his heart dramatically. "Oh no, my secret's out!"  
  
Sirius sighed. "That's a no then?"  
  
Harry raised a brow. "What do you think?"  
  
"Well, it was worth a try." Sirius said to no one in particular.  
  
"Now, do we have any questions relating to the subject, rather than any more far-fetched theories as to how I'm related to Mr Potter?" Harry asked.  
  
"Where did you learn to duel like that?" Someone Harry couldn't identify asked.  
  
"School. A couple of Auror friends helped me 'n' a friend of mine out. We'd both had some bad experiences with Voldemort. We were both on his hit list, so we learnt how to fight. She's one of the few people who can beat me now." He grinned. "Not that I'm being big-headed or anything. But Videl is clearly a skilled dueller, and you saw me beat her."  
  
"He's got a point." James muttered. "Wonder if he can teach me."  
  
He thought no one heard him, but a certain Miss Evans did.  
  
The rest of the lesson passed quickly, but he was a certified favourite with all his students by that point.  
  
Harry grinned. It was a day well done.  
  
# # #  
  
A/N: A lot of description in that, but I've a feeling that the Deadly Curses may play a special part in this story...

Oh, the pervy painting! I loved that! I couldn't resist! They're just so wicked! Same for McGonagall! I like writing her, she's cool!

Anyway, gosh I had so many reviewers! I love you all so much. I'll reply to the people with questions, but you all get a big thanks!  
  
Gryphonmistress: I take it you like it then? I decided on a Harry/Ginny fic because the way I'm going to write Ginny, it's going to make it very funny. Plus, as you said, it's not often done and if I embrace a cliché, I do my own thing to make it seem original.  
  
sea-my-eyes: I guess it's a little jumped into. Maybe when I finish it, I'll do a prequel or something. I just like Hedwig being a phoenix. Thanks though.  
  
Zekintha: A swot is British slang for someone who's very bright, knows everything, reads a lot. Not quite a geek, but very intelligent. Technically, I'm a swot, and I've been called it since I was eleven. What was the quote for? Did I write something stupid?  
  
Rhyllen: Ah, nice to know you care if I review! See, now you've got to return the favour. Savvy?  
  
Seer of Faith: Hey sis. Glad you like it. No idea why I'm answering here, but there you go.  
  
Auroa M: I portray Harry well? Gosh, thanks! See me blush! (Or not, as the case may be!)  
  
Shitza: Glad you think my fic's worth reading in your valuable time! Heehee! Thanks!  
  
IceSugarHigh: Cool name. And what do you think? Where's the fun without Ginny? I need someone to make Harry squirm!  
  
mrsmunkee: I figured some people would get it. No one really asked about it after the first chapter, which I thought was a shame. I wanted everyone to think he was a werewolf!  
  
meenyrocks: You're going to really swell my head, you know that, right? Plot tornadoes? Yes, random, but plot bunnies don't cut it any more. I get hit with tornadoes! And yes, Charmed and Buffy kick ass (literally). I love them both, especially Buffy. And yes, I can't believe they did that to Piper and Leo, but it looks like they may get back together in Season 6. I hope so anyway. The crossovers will be updated when I remember! I haven't actually finished the next chapter of 'Of Heroes and Heroines', so that may be a little while! I'm doing my best, but I've got writer's block on some of the fics! Don't worry about 'Curses', I think it'll take anyone who starts reading it now a long time!  
  
Fanfic-Frankie: You're another who's going to swell my head! Oh my god, Miss Hardbroom! I remember my dad buying me the Worst Witch books when I was little! He used to read them to me and did all the voices! The one he did for Hardbroom was so funny! Yeah, actually, maybe I was subconsciously pulling on my memories of her when I wrote her, but I was sort of looking for someone stern enough to rival Snape. She doesn't play favourites as much though. And she has clean hair. As for Harry's condition... The next chapter has a transformation and it should hint about what's going to happen.  
  
Hermione1989: Yeah, have to say the Deadly Curses are somewhat inspired by that episode of Charmed! Especially the Sloth and Gluttony Curses, though they're a little different. If you've got another idea, write it. You don't have to post it up, but it may help you get over your block on your other fics. I've got tonnes of fics with one or two chapters that I haven't finished, or I've lost interest in. I've got a similar number of original stories (but I think fanfiction's partially to blame for that!)  
  
praesul femella: Here's the lesson. Not his first, but the one which matters. Oh, Ginny's appearance, yes I think people will enjoy that. And the Marauders and Lily, yes, they may discover certain facts, they're certainly going to get suspicious soon...  
  
rebekah1: Glad you like the Deadly Curses. I'm very pleased with them, but you get an explanation of each one here! I've no idea what you're welcome is in French anyway, let alone the spelling. I'm guessing you're the one I said 'merci' to, right? As for Ginny, well, I think you can safely guess she'll be here soon...  
  
Comet Moon: Author Alert? Thanks. Yes, Ginny, hope you like what happens, yes, wide open, kind of deliberate, hope people like how I wrote her... Nah, won't be Charms. Demos though, and you get a hint in the next chapter of what she might be doing.  
  
Guardian Elf Angel: Glad you like it. Yep, good that school's out.  
  
Thank you to Jessie, justblue, Silver Warrior, gophagurl, FantasyChick, shdurrani, and NathanPostmark.  
  
Now, just tonight, I have also posted up a one-shot! Ah ha! Okay, so it's a long one-shot, angsty and crap, but if you care to read it, do so and tell me, okay?  
  
And Seer of Faith, who is my sister, finally posted something! It's called 'Through the Mind's Eye' or something like that. It will be a set of one- shots, but it's only got one chapter at the moment. Go and read it, please. She's only got two reviews and it's actually very good! Just search for her name, or go on my favourite authors, because I've got her down there!  
  
Anyway, bye until next time. And I will complete the next chapter of 'Curses' by next Friday even if it kills me! Promise I'll update!  
  
Lol, Tanydwr


	4. Chapter 4: Transformation

This chapter is a little angsty, and definitely qualifies for the rating! Look at the title and you can pretty much guess why.  
  
**Chapter 4: Transformation  
**  
By dinner that evening, rumours were flying about Professor Potter. They all had a distinct similarity – he was cool, a good teacher and fair. Other rumours, however, passed from him being trained in the depths of the Amazon by native witch doctors to him being Voldemort's secret son who rebelled against him and his reign. Harry snorted at that, struggling to suppress the urge to laugh himself sick.  
  
"He's definitely something, isn't he?" Sirius mentioned as he helped himself to chips. (A/N: Fries to anyone who's confused!)  
  
"Who?" James asked.  
  
"Professor Potter!" Sirius grinned.  
  
"Are you _still_ on about him, Black? Anyone would think you were obsessed." Lily groaned.  
  
"I thought we were on first name terms now?" Sirius raised a brow.  
  
"No, you were mistaken. I've always called Remus by his first name because he's the only one of you I could tolerate. James is my fellow Head, so I have to be tolerant of him." Lily explained.  
  
"I love you too, Lily." James rolled his eyes.  
  
Lily poked her tongue out at him childishly. He just laughed. She grinned. _'He's nice when he's not being an idiot...'_ she thought, then crossed the thought from her mind. _'Urgh! No, Potter's a cheating, bullying toerag, remember? He hexes people for fun!'  
  
_At the teacher's table, Videl spoke to Harry.  
  
"You seem to be a hot topic of conversation." She commented dryly.  
  
"Alas, when will it end?" Harry asked dramatically, then shrugged. "They'll be tired of it in a day or two when they realise exactly how hard the homework I set them is."  
  
Videl raised a brow. "Oh, what is that? Are my students going to be mentally scarred? I heard Nott complaining about you taking points for simple sayings."  
  
"Nott referred to one of the other students with coarse and uneducated terms." Harry scowled.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Mudblood." Harry spat the word out. "It's sick! The entire lot of them are just praying for Voldemort to come and brand them like cattle. Those that aren't _already_ branded that is."  
  
Videl frowned. "I would appreciate it if you kept accusations away from my students."  
  
"Then tell your students to use polite terminology in referring to others. I will not tolerate sectarianist, bigoted behaviour." Harry told her vehemently.  
  
Her eyes narrowed. He was definitely unusual. "Understood."  
  
"Good. And in answer to your earlier question, no the students shouldn't be scarred. However, the homework for those in Fifth and Seventh year is to write out all the spells they know and a practical application for them in duelling." Harry explained.  
  
"How do you mean?"  
  
"Anything they have learnt. A Cheering Charm for distraction. Or use a Switching Spell to exchange a sword for a stick. Anything of the sort. I dare say I'm looking forward to reading some of the homework."  
  
"You are aware that they will not be able to remember everything from five or seven years at Hogwarts?"  
  
"Yes. That's why I want to know. Go over some of the spells, hexes, curses, charms, jinxes that they don't know. As well as train them further in other ones as well. It will also give me an idea of the level each student is working at, not to mention I'll enjoy seeing what spells they know that _aren't _on the curriculum." Harry gave a half-smile.  
  
Videl sighed. "I'm going to have some complaints."  
  
"Good. That means they're thinking about it. Besides, it's only a few lists. And they've got a month to do so, along with any smaller essays or other homework I assign. They've got some serious work to do for their exams. I want my students to get the best grades possible."  
  
# # #  
  
In all, Harry was a certified hit among the students. Well, there were a number of Slytherins who disliked him, but the rest thought he was great. After a week, he was a 'qualified' Hogwarts teacher. Meaning: he'd been pranked and approved by the Marauders. In fact, his response to the prank had been extremely poignant.  
  
It had been his third day of teaching – fifth day there – when it struck him. He found himself speaking in rhyme for the entire lesson, wearing a James Bond-inspired outfit. Apparently, this was an accolade to the time he had spent with the Aurors. His only response had been to laugh as he taught the entire lesson while speaking in rhyme.  
  
At the end, he had grinned.  
  
"Well, I guess the Marauders have had their fun,  
  
But I'd ask for this spell to be undone.  
  
Detention would involve duelling with me,  
  
I'm a little out of practise you see.  
  
So long as you undo this at once,  
  
I'll tell you 'bout the time Ron was a ponce.  
  
I ask the Marauders, am I approved?  
  
To be pranked so well, I'm truly moved." He grinned.  
  
James and Sirius did the counter-curse.  
  
Harry grinned. "Thank you, Potter, Black."  
  
"You have our approval, sir." James told him.  
  
"That's nice to know. I've got the approval of the Head Boy and the top pranksters in the school. Anyway, class dismissed." He told the class.  
  
Everyone was surprised. Almost all the previous teachers had been furious with the pranks performed on them. Though, admittedly, this had been funny. Even Lily could find no fault with it.  
  
"That was good, James." She smiled.  
  
James' eyes widened. "Beware, everyone! Lily Evans just condoned a prank!"  
  
Lily rolled her eyes, placing her book back in her bag. "It's not _that _unusual, Potter." She always called him Potter when she was irritated, though part of it was just slipping into old habits. "Some of your pranks really hurt people. This was well thought out and funny. Harmless, except maybe to Professor Potter's ego."  
  
James grinned, slinging an arm around Lily's shoulders as they left the classroom. "Ah, we finally gained the Fair Flower's approval! And we don't try to intentionally hurt people with pranks anymore. It was just a stupid phase."  
  
"Well, we mustn't forget Snivellus." Sirius snickered.  
  
"Well, that's personal." James' eyes darkened.  
  
A voice called out, "Oh, Potter, Black?"  
  
The three friends turned, sticking their heads back over the classroom door. "Yes sir?" James asked.  
  
"Take ten points each for the successful use of the Rhyme-tongue and Costume Charms." Professor Potter replied. "And don't forget to include them in your essays."  
  
"We won't." Lily replied. "C'mon, James, we've got to see Dumbledore at half-past."  
  
"Lily, d'you think I don't know that?" James asked as he followed his fellow Head Girl out.  
  
Sirius grinned at the teacher, rolling his eyes. "Lovers' spat. Even if they're not lovers yet. I'm making it my plan to get them together. D'you want to help?"  
  
Harry laughed. "Why would a teacher get messed up in students' love lives?"  
  
"Because if you're their son from the future, you'll want them to get together."  
  
Harry rolled his eyes. "Are you still harping on about that? It doesn't matter. Fate will get them together if she sees fit. Now go. Do some homework. And offer my congratulations to Lupin on his part of the prank as well."  
  
# # #  
  
Remus Lupin was all too aware of the full moon coming up in the second week of term. He was becoming more irritable and more tired. But his senses, though heightened above average normally, became even more acute.  
  
And he sensed that there was definitely something wrong about the new DADA teacher.  
  
"What?" James asked when he approached him.  
  
"I'm telling you, Prongs, there's something up with him. He's not normal." Remus insisted.  
  
"Course not. No normal wizard can duel like that." James grinned good- naturedly.  
  
"No, James, not that. There's something about him. In his scent. He's not a normal wizard. He's not _entirely _wizard!" Remus explained.  
  
"What?" James asked, suddenly serious. "What can you smell?" He knew better than to doubt his friend when the full moon was coming nearer.  
  
"His own scent. It's different to that of say you, or Sirius, there's something feral in it. Much more animalistic. Wizards and witches smell unique, along with the scents of the day's activities, but his, while it has the scent of magic, also has that of... Well, it smells somewhat like blood." Remus frowned.  
  
"Part of his personal scent is blood? Aren't people's scents usually more plant-like? I mean, other than the pheromones? Most are connected to a plant through their personality?" James checked. Remus had told him a lot about this subject over the years. Werewolves had much better senses, which could be advantageous at times.  
  
"Yes. I mean, he's got the scent of magic, because he's a wizard. Then his scent is like blood mixed with... mint. He's light, but there's darkness. He's not fully human." Remus explained.  
  
James nodded. "And he's been acting a bit weird this week. I mean, I've seen him on a number of occasions, and he seems far more irritable than last week. And I swear I saw him check out Videl this morning, which was freaky to say the least."  
  
"Technically, she would be seen as attractive." Remus pointed out. "She's only twenty-five or something."  
  
"She's also a teacher."  
  
"So's Professor Potter, but that doesn't stop half the girls in our year lusting after him. Some of the girls in other years as well." Remus pointed out.  
  
"Moony, you're scaring me. So, we watch Professor Potter. If he's not as fully human as he appears, we'll find out what he is. He's gotta be safe though. Dumbledore wouldn't allow someone who's out to kill us into the school." James pointed out.  
  
"Even Dumbledore can make mistakes." Remus sighed. "Anyway, I'm going to bed."  
  
"Full moon?" James asked.  
  
"Tomorrow. I'm going to need my rest tonight." Remus nodded, and left.  
  
James stared into the fire, wondering what was so different about Professor Potter, and why his scent was different.  
  
# # #  
  
"What?" Harry snapped as he heard Dumbledore call his name.  
  
"I was wondering if there was something wrong." Dumbledore told him mildly.  
  
"Well done, top marks for observation." Harry replied sarcastically, surprising his colleagues.  
  
"What is it?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
Harry calmed down by taking a number of deep breaths. He had to ask his question normally. "Nothing. It... It doesn't matter, it'll pass." He took a spoonful of soup and nearly spat it out. His taste buds were already preparing for blood. It was another sign of a Moonlight Vampire. The near-intolerance for vegetables just prior to the full moon. Instead, he attacked a portion of lamb. "I heard Lupin is in the Hospital Wing?"  
  
Dumbledore suddenly understood. "Yes, he's not feeling well. Flare up of a previous disease."  
  
Harry nodded. "I know the feeling." He muttered.  
  
Harry rose from his place early. The sky was showing the colours of sunset becoming dusk, and he couldn't afford to be outside of his room for too much longer.  
  
When he got to his rooms, he found a much younger Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore waiting for him. They followed him to his private rooms, and the room where he would transform.  
  
"She knows?" Harry asked.  
  
Dumbledore nodded. "I have heard tales of the transformation. She needed to in case there is trouble tomorrow morn."  
  
Harry smiled. He'd be able to rely on Madam Pomfrey whatever the decade. She was one of the least-prejudiced witches (or wizards) he knew, probably coming from her work as a medi-witch.  
  
She gave a wry smile. "Now I have two of you to care for after the full moon." She clucked. "The professor told you of poor Remus?"  
  
"Yes. Being a werewolf is worse, I feel." Harry told her truthfully. "At least the transformations are less painful."  
  
"Well, you don't change bones or body-structures. During the transformation, you need blood, do you not?"  
  
Harry nodded. "If you have some rats or something, they will do. I do not intend to feed off students. However, if they follow Voldemort, I may make an exception. After all, it's _his_ fault I'm like this." His eyes narrowed.  
  
Dumbledore shook his head. "No students. Blood will be supplied. I suggest you enter, dusk will soon be upon us."  
  
Harry nodded, removing his robe and slinging it over the back of a chair. He entered his bedroom and reappeared, wearing old clothes. He looked at the other two. "It's safer on my wardrobe. Sometimes the rage can become uncontrollable." He didn't need to add that the rage was for his inability to sate his lust.  
  
His wand was locked in its box by his bedside. They could hardly risk his escape since he was kept in the castle.  
  
He entered the room. It was bare. There were the manacles he had fastened to one wall. A bucket in one corner. A large window would let the moonlight flood in. The transformation was worse if the moonlight did not touch his skin. The glass was unbreakable and the window did not open. The walls were the rough stone of the castle. The door was magically strengthened oak, heavy and unbreakable. The hinges were hidden and the locks entirely on the outside. Not even a door handle on the inside.  
  
Harry looked at it. It was suitable.  
  
"Thank you." He told Professor Dumbledore.  
  
"Not at all. We'll return at sunrise when you are finished." Dumbledore smiled.  
  
"Good luck." Madam Pomfrey smiled.  
  
Harry nodded and swallowed. The door closed and locked with an audible click.  
  
Now began the wait. He paced the room. It was a good size. He wanted to run off as much energy as he could before the transformation.  
  
He used to do that with Ginny – they'd duel in as many ways as they could. It would be tiring and keep the lust more controllable. Since he was always at Hogwarts for the transformation, it was alright, because Ginny was still studying. She was not the ideal student, though, and would frequently sneak out to Hogsmeade in the evening, often telling Harry to meet her there first. Other times, she'd call everyone and persuade Dumbledore to give her permission as Head Girl. She'd been especially good at persuading people. Of course, the advances made against him had been subtler, until she left school. Without her brothers there, she had been fully able to be herself. She had dated, pranked and genuinely enjoyed herself. Harry was the one she had seen most, for their regular training schedules, which they kept up, despite Voldemort's demise. She had even greater confidence, and this had given her the boost she needed. She flirted openly with Harry. While he felt flustered, he'd responded in the only way he could nowadays – flirt back. And he couldn't deny that he found the young Ginevra Weasley exceptionally attractive.  
  
_Damn!_ He punched a wall in frustration. He had to stop thinking about her. Funnily enough, it was she he seemed to miss most. He missed Ron and Hermione, and the others, sure, but Ginny... She understood him better than most. She had been possessed by Voldemort, just as he had. She was one that Voldemort wanted dead, for he remembered the situation with the diary. He knew she was powerful, and when it became clear that he wasn't going to get rid of Harry easily, he offered them both the same option – join him and become his most powerful followers. Harry's reply had been less than polite, and had suggested that Voldemort's mother had actually done something highly unlikely with a slug. Ginny had commented that that was just being nice. Both of them had had the same intensive training when it became clear who were the three top-most people on Voldemort's hit list. Snape had been bewildered when he reported that Dumbledore had been relegated to third place behind Harry and Ginny respectively. Snape hadn't realised how powerful Ginny was.  
  
Harry couldn't help thinking about her now. She was so powerful. She was strong, fast, supple... She was sharp-minded, witty, funny. She was a lot more like the twins than Harry had realised until his Sixth-year, but she wasn't as brash. Her pranks were subtler. And often more embarrassing. She put a lot of thought into them. One time, when Harry had annoyed her, she had pranked him by turning his towel into a portkey. After he got out of a shower, it had activated, putting him straight into the centre of the Great Hall with only a towel wrapped round him. Of course, that had somewhat backfired, since Harry had gained a lot more muscle by the time he was in Seventh-year, and had nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, most of the girls were thanking her for weeks afterwards for giving them the chance to get an eyeful of his... assets. Ginny had flushed at that. Harry was more impressed by the fact that she had managed to do this to his towel, when he was Head Boy, and thus slept in the Head Rooms. It had been one of the House Elves, she had explained. He rolled his eyes at the memory.  
  
Ginny was smart. She was powerful. She had an insatiable lust for life that had inspired him to keep on fighting. She had helped him get out of the hole of depression and guilt he had had after Sirius' death and hearing the prophecy. She had inadvertently given him someone to fight for. And of course, there was no denying that she was attractive...  
  
Alright, so who was he kidding, she was gorgeous. At eighteen, Ginevra Weasley was a sight to behold, and many men enjoyed doing so. Harry included.  
  
_'Stop thinking about her!'_ Harry ordered himself. _'No wonder Minerva thinks you have a crush on her!'  
_  
And he was getting himself worked up just thinking about her.  
  
But then all thought stopped. He felt a sudden change. Moonlight streamed through the window. He fell to the floor.  
  
Deep breaths sucked in air as his body changed. His top canines grew longer, became fangs. His eyes burned as they ignited with the red flame of lust. His senses grew even sharper, his nose searching for the slightest hint of blood. His nails sharpened to a razor-sharpness. He felt himself flood with the need for blood, his mouth salivating, his stomach churning. And the need for satisfaction, for sex. His body filled with the carnal need for a female, a woman. He felt himself harden, but knew it was pointless.  
  
He was locked up. There was none in sight. Nothing to abate his needs, the two-toned lust that flooded his veins, setting every nerve on fire. He grew angry. How dare they lock him away! How dare they forbid him his needs! He was above them, above them all! He was more powerful! His eyes scoured the room for any sign, his nose flared, desperately sucking in any scent, searching for blood.  
  
Unable to find what he desired, he roared furiously. It was pure rage, tearing his throat, lungs and diaphragm. He pummelled at the door, demanding to let free. Punches rained on the wood. But it was to no avail. It was simply too strong. It barely shuddered under his strength, let alone splintered.  
  
The windows. He rammed a hand through the glass... But no! This exit was blocked too! How could this be done to him? He was powerful! He was supreme! How dare they deny him his satisfaction!  
  
Then suddenly, he detected blood. The lifeblood of a warm creature flowed nearby. His eyes searched the room. He sneered. A rat? They would feed him only a rat? Blood that was tainted, spoiled, disgusting? Why not the pure blood of a human? A girl? His lips would kiss her neck tenderly, he would enter her, sate his need, then his teeth would bite into her soft neck, drawing the blood away from her, she would shudder under him, unable to fight back, and her sweet blood would sate him...  
  
No! All they spared was a rat! Blood was blood, though, he would not refuse this meagre offering. In seconds, he had scooped the rat from the ground. He bit savagely into it, draining its foul-tasting blood. Then he flung its wasted body to the ground, and resumed his pummelling on the only exits available.  
  
He needed freedom. He needed the night air, the moonlight on his skin, nature around him. He needed blood and satisfaction. He needed to quench his lust. He needed a woman. A woman would fill his needs. Witch or Muggle, it mattered not. While the blood of a witch was intoxicating, the magic would fill his veins and make him powerful, the blood of a Muggle was fresh and pure, sweetness in itself. Virgins were preferred, it slaked desires so much more readily.  
  
Fury began flowing through him again, and now desperation. He needed blood. Frantic, he scratched at his own skin, tasting his own blood, but it hardly filled his want. He tore at his clothes, fury seeping through every vein, artery and capillary.  
  
He was alone. He was desperate. He was hungry. He was deprived.  
  
Utterly alone, the Moonlight Vampire known as Harry Potter roared his upset and fury to the world, not realising that nothing he did would be heard.  
  
# # #  
  
The moon set and the sun rose.  
  
The door to a near empty chamber opened, and the School Matron rushed in. She clucked over the prone figure, and shook him lightly to see if he was unconscious or sleeping.  
  
He moved and licked his lips. "Hey, Madam Pomfrey." The young man gave a harsh grin. "Now you know why I wear old clothing."  
  
A blush rose in her cheeks as she realised he wore nothing, his clothing in shreds around the room. She swiftly left and re-entered with a robe.  
  
"Put that on, Professor Potter." She told him. "You're coming to the Hospital Wing. You're in terrible shape!"  
  
"It'll heal quickly..." He began.  
  
"I don't care!" She told him. "I am Matron here, and you will do as I say!"  
  
"Yes, Madam." He replied meekly, standing slowly and pulling on the robe.  
  
She literally dragged him to the Hospital Wing, where she ordered him to sit in a bed and be silent. He hated the Hospital Wing. Too much white and he'd spent too much time. He noticed with a wry smile that he was in the bed she would one day put a sign over, saying 'Property of Harry Potter'. It was an exaggeration, but it did seem like the bed was his.  
  
He looked around as the woman gathered potions. He observed Remus Lupin in the next bed.  
  
"Rough night?" He asked.  
  
Remus looked at him, startled. "Ye-es, sir."  
  
Harry smiled warmly. "Don't worry, one day it will get better. And you're strong. You can't let it defeat you."  
  
"You know?" Remus looked puzzled.  
  
"Of course I do! What kind of DADA teacher do you take me for?" Harry asked, grinning. "Dumbledore explained to me when I told him you were a werewolf. I seem to have a sixth sense for these things. Don't go biting anyone and you're safe."  
  
"Yes sir. What happened to you?" Remus asked. It was odd that his teacher would turn up in the Hospital Wing on the morning after the full moon. He wasn't a werewolf, he knew. So what was he? Could it have anything to do with his unusual scent?  
  
"Accident with some magical creatures I was sorting last night. Nothing to worry about." Harry replied. "Madam Pomfrey'll have me right as rain in a few minutes, won't you?" He asked as the Matron came near.  
  
"Don't you go wearing the poor boy out, professor!" Madam Pomfrey scolded. "He's had a hard night, hard as yours, more likely than not!"  
  
"Yes, Madam." Harry replied meekly again. "Call me Harry, would you? I thought colleagues did that!"  
  
"Very well. Then I'm sure you know my name is Poppy. Drink this. It'll replenish your blood." She ordered.  
  
Harry did so, wincing at the taste of the Blood-Replenishing Potion.  
  
"This. It will heal the cuts. You'll have no trace of most of them in an hour." She informed him.  
  
The Laceration-Healing Potion tasted even worse, but Harry drank it.  
  
"Can I go?"  
  
"This. I want you to take this tonight and get a good night's sleep." She told him, handing him a vial of Dreamless Sleep Potion.  
  
"Yes, ma'am." He saluted.  
  
"I thought we were on first-name terms, now?" She asked, amused.  
  
Harry stood and grinned at Remus, approaching the door.  
  
"Oh, Harry?" Madam Pomfrey called out again.  
  
"Yes?" Harry asked.  
  
"I'd put on some more clothes, if I were you." She smirked.  
  
He rolled his eyes. Trust the Matron to have an evil sense of humour.  
  
# # #  
  
That evening, Harry was tired, but happy. The day's lessons had gone well, though he'd deducted twenty points in total from Slytherin for use of the word 'Mudblood'. It seemed they'd take a little longer to get used to being polite than he thought.  
  
It was just as they were finishing dessert. A wind seemed to sweep through the Great Hall, and the doors flew open. A black-cloaked figure appeared, hood disguising their identity.  
  
Harry stepped forward automatically from the table.  
  
"Who are you?" He asked, wand in hand.  
  
"Who am I? I'll tell you who I am, Harry James Potter!" The voice was angry.  
  
The students stared as they saw their Defence teacher visibly shrink back, and heard him say one word.  
  
"Shit."  
  
"That'd sum it up, wouldn't it, Harry?" The figure scolded. Whoever it was approached him, and without warning, a delicate, pale, well-manicured hand appeared and slapped him around the face. "How do you think everyone felt? You just disappeared, with a letter to all of us? That's all? You didn't even say goodbye properly! How could you do that? How could _Hedwig let_ you do that?"  
  
"Well, I didn't have much time or choice..." Harry began.  
  
"Sod your time and choice, you could've at least called, you damned bastard!" The voice was definitely female and raising in height. "How could you leave us? How could you leave me? I thought what we had was special!"  
  
Now Harry knew exactly who it was, and what she was doing. Dramatic entrances always were her thing.  
  
"You call trying to beat the crap out of each other special?" He asked.  
  
"You..." She began, her hand raised again.  
  
He caught it, and threw her back, forcing her hood off.  
  
A beautiful redheaded woman appeared from under it. Her hair was deep red, long and wavy. The skin was fair and delicate, with a light smattering of freckles. The eyes were large, brown and innocent-seeming, but mischief was hinted by the lightly tip-tilted nose. A stubborn chin suggested she was just that and the figure was tall, but slender, but there was a hidden strength.  
  
"Harry!" She yelled, annoyed.  
  
"Hi Ginny. How long're you planning on staying?" Harry Potter asked, conversationally.  
  
# # #  
  
Ha ha! There you have it! Ginny's dramatic entrance! She had to appear soon, just for fun. I hope no one is offended by the transformation description, but it needed to be done. Just to show the difference between the transformation of Moonlight Vampire and werewolf. And the change from human to Vampire. I was trying to get in the primal instincts bit there, but in a different form to a werewolf. Okay?  
  
I can't believe I've got so many reviews already! I've had so many, I can't reply to all of them individually. I mean, I've got a total of 59 reviews! That's an average of about twenty per chapter! Which is way more than for my other HP fic, which, might I add, has now been updated! Yes, chapter 32 of 'Curses, Prophecies and the Elemental Guardians' has now been posted up! And I only get an average of about five per chapter there. Though some have more than others. So, those of you who love me (if there are any of you, you might well hate me, but so long as you review and tell me why, I don't care) please! Read my other story! Review it! It is apparently very good! Read the latest review I got from meenyrocks on that fic and see why you should review from a reviewer's point of view! (And she's really going to swell my head. I mean, really swell it!)  
  
Okay, to everyone who reviewed, thanks!  
  
Individually:  
  
IceSugarHigh: I don't even want to know what you thought of! Might have to check and see if you use it though! Here's the meeting. More in the next chapter. That'll be funny. Thanks.  
  
sea-my-eyes: Nope, Harry didn't lie. He doesn't. He just doesn't say he's right. He points the finger in a different direction. Anyway, thank you.  
  
Shitza: Thanks a lot. That means so much to me! Enjoy!  
  
Joeyperson: Glad you like Videl. Yeah, she is kind of spiffy. Thanks for the definition of rawkin'. As for your questions, well... That'd be telling, wouldn't it? Glad you liked how I portrayed Professor McGonagall, she definitely showed some wickedness in the fifth book, so I played on that a bit.  
  
Susire: No, anything but the wagging finger! You know, having typed that, it just sounds wrong. Oh well! Yep, here's Ginny. And McGonagall, people like how I've written her, isn't that cool? Yep, playing on what the fifth books shows. I like writing evilness, especially if I can embarrass my characters!  
  
mrsmunkee: Oh, someone liked the pervy painting! Hooray! I just felt evil. Again. I couldn't resist. And the Moaning Myrtle reference, yep, another I couldn't resist things. I was in a funny mood when I wrote the chapter! Yep, Harry's being very coy about Sirius' answer, doesn't lie, but makes it seem like it's not the truth anyway. And I'm glad you liked the Deadly Curses and everything. I just felt Harry had to have some lasting problem from Voldemort, and since his scar's inactive, a curse sufficed. And this one, well, you see what it puts the recipient through in this chapter, don't you?  
  
rebekah1: Sorry, I only update on Fridays (usually). And if I update sooner, you'd have to wait longer between updates, since I try to keep a couple of chapters ahead of what I'm posting. Yep, that was one of my favourite lines in OotP as well. Glad you like McGonagall. And Harry and Snape, well, I hadn't actually thought that far ahead yet! Weird, no? But thanks!  
  
Silver Warrior: Perfect? Wow. Glad you think Harry's act was so good. I'm trying to get humour into this story, though this chapter's more angsty. And Ginny's showed! Hope it was up to expectations! As for Denara Videl, well, the first name is something I either made up or heard somewhere and I figured it sounded witchy. As for Videl... It's an anagram of something. Guess what!  
  
Lunawolf: A lot of people seem to like Harry's reply to Sirius' (correct) stipulation. And Ginny's appeared. We heard a bit more about her in this chapter. And she gets into everything in the next!  
  
Callista Macleod: Thanks! I love it when people I've reviewed read my stories, especially if they like it, because it means someone who I think is a good writer, rates my own work! Or something like that. Yeah, I figured if I was going to embrace a cliché, turn it into something very un- cliché. Make it original. It's fun, actually.  
  
And thank you Mikito, Ghostly-Talon, specialpastry, Iluvatar, sunny smiles, Nathan Postmark, rayvern, Song Gift, Lenorathetrekkie, elvengoddess696, and lilkat92.  
  
Thank you all! Love you all and please keep reviewing! _Trying not to sound desperate and begging!_ Cookies if you do. _Miserably failing.  
_  
Lol, Tanydwr 


	5. Chapter 5: Company

Okay, here's the new chapter. Sorry it's late, I was exhausted last night, and I forgot!  
  
**Chapter 5: Company  
**  
Ginevra Weasley pouted. He'd spoiled her entrance!  
  
"Harry! You were supposed to grovel for forgiveness and promise never to leave me again!" She scolded.  
  
"You're not supposed to be here at all!" Harry replied. "How could he let you...?"  
  
"No one 'let' me do anything, Blade!" Ginny shot back. "He didn't have much choice after what I did to him..."  
  
Harry struggled to keep his face straight. "What did you do?"  
  
"I put a spell on him so his favourite sweets taste appalling every time he has them." Ginny smirked.  
  
"I should've known. If anyone found me, it'd be you." Harry sighed. "When're you going back?"  
  
"When you do. One-way ticket." She replied.  
  
He groaned. "So I'm stuck with you for the rest of the year?"  
  
"You say that like it's a bad thing!" She pouted.  
  
"D'you think that's Professor Potter's girlfriend?" Sirius asked James in a non-whisper.  
  
"NO!" The teacher and redhead yelled at him.  
  
"God, what is it with Potters and redheads, James? Even if he isn't related to you, they're as testy as you and Lily on a good day!" Sirius responded, raising his voice.  
  
Ginny froze. "Holy... Harry! You never said _they_ were here!" She complained.  
  
Now everyone looked confused.  
  
"Are we famous?" Sirius wanted to know.  
  
"Now I know why you're here! The Marauders, oh crap! Harry, why didn't you say?!" Ginny cried.  
  
"Say what? There's a bunch of troublemakers at school worse than your brothers who had me dressed like James Bond and talking in rhyme for an entire lesson?" Harry wanted to know.  
  
Ginny stopped. "They didn't?!"  
  
"They did."  
  
"Oh, I'm going to have to tell Fred and George that 'un. The rhyming thing could be done as a sweet. Costume changes... you'd need something else, because it's not ingested. Maybe a bomb or grenade like device..." She was musing now.  
  
"You have spent way too much time with Fred and George." Harry told her.  
  
"I've been working in their shop since I graduated, you know that. I was due to start Auror training this month, but they're all scared of me." Ginny looked depressed.  
  
"Why?" Harry frowned.  
  
"Because I'm the only person who can hold their own in a match against you. 'Cept maybe Snakeface and a couple of the Entrail Eaters..." She shrugged. "I did one test and they gave me the God-damn license! It's so unfair!"  
  
"You have been training Auror-style since your fifth-year you know." Harry told her.  
  
"Yeah, but I didn't think it would mean I didn't get tested properly!" She complained.  
  
The teachers and students frowned. This woman seemed rather petulant. About not being tested properly for something she could clearly do.  
  
Harry shrugged. "Just means you're good is all. What're you going to do now?"  
  
"Oh, I was hoping to hang around and bug you for the rest of the year. Y'know, embarrass you in front of your colleagues, students, enemies, friends. Duel with you. Practise my fencing and stuff. And insulting old Mouldywart is so much more fun when you can do so with someone he wants dead." Ginny explained. "That is, if Professor Dumbledore in his high and esteemed wisdom cares to let me stay?"  
  
"How can I say no to flattery like that?" The headmaster chuckled. "Now, who are you?"  
  
"Oh, sorry. Ginevra Westley at your service. More commonly known as Ginny. Anyone who calls me Ginevra will..."  
  
"Suffer untold torture, have giant spiders placed in their bed and be fed to a basilisk." Harry interrupted, rolling his eyes. "I'm sure you only added in the giant spiders bit to scare Ron."  
  
"Of course. Giant spiders... Well, I could probably find an Acromantula or two. Has to be some in that big, old forest. As for a basilisk... That's a little more tricky." Ginny shrugged.  
  
Harry rolled his eyes again. "Only you could see finding a basilisk as 'tricky'. Most would consider it 'incredibly unlucky' to find a basilisk. Though that might be because most people who meet basilisks also die unless they're Parseltongue or have a sword handy."  
  
Ginny smirked. "You're so simple, Blade." She turned to Professor Dumbledore, and her voice became much more business-like. "I was hoping to aid Harry in teaching his Defence course. I'm sure he's doing a great job..." She grinned as a number of students began to protest, "But it does help to have someone who you can fight against. To give a convincing duel, you need to be against someone who can hold they're own. And I don't think Voldemort would appreciate it if we invited him here so Harry could give a duelling lesson." She rolled her eyes at the number of gasps. "I'm gonna quote... well, I think it was Hermione, might be our old headmaster. 'Fear of a name only increases the fear of the thing itself.' You're only increasing your fear of Voldemort by calling him by those ridiculous pseudonyms."  
  
"Well said, Miss Westley. If Harry does not object, I don't see why you should not aid him in his teaching. Your qualifications?"  
  
"Graduated as one of the top in my year from Skirret last June. Top marks in Defence and Charms. Yeah, I'm only eighteen, but I've got nearly as much experience as Blade here. 'Course, I haven't got any of the teaching experience..." Ginny smirked.  
  
"That's understandable. Now as to your sleeping quarters..." Dumbledore began.  
  
Some people may have been confused why this all went on in front of the students, but weird things happened all the time at Hogwarts.  
  
"Oh, I'll just share with Harry." Ginny smirked.  
  
Someone on the Gryffindor table, most likely Sirius, let out a guffaw.  
  
"Ginny, now my lifestyle is going to be gossip for everyone by tomorrow morning." Harry groaned.  
  
"What? It's not like we haven't shared before." She grinned wickedly.  
  
_'She's evil,'_ Harry decided, _'She's evil, she knows it and she's taking advantage of it. What the hell is the rest of the year going to be like?'_  
  
Aloud, he said, "Well, since there were four of us all in your room, I don't think that constitutes the same thing."  
  
"Is poor ickle Harry scared of big bad Ginny?" Ginny crowed.  
  
Harry rolled his eyes. "No. I'll just sleep in my trunk until I sort out another room in the tower for you."  
  
Ginny looked deflated. "That damned trunk. Anyone would think you're Dracula, 'cept you sleep in a trunk, not a coffin."  
  
"Ginny, it is well-known that Dracula is in fact a myth, and vampires do not sleep in coffins. They tend to sleep in beds like normal people. Or maybe a nice crypt." Harry told her.  
  
"That's not for certain. In Transylvania, in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, there were a number of suspicious deaths that could be attributed to a vampire. Not to mention the manor house where there were traces of magic." Ginny shot back.  
  
"Dracula was a myth. Bram Stoker took the surname of Vlad the Impaler and turned the thirteenth century ruler into a much later vampire. He used elements of the cruel tortures he forced upon people for his story. I've yet to come across a vampire that can turn himself into a bat." Harry told her.  
  
Ginny pouted. "Damn! You always use that defence! It's so unfair."  
  
"So are you, but there you go." Harry grinned. As he did, he couldn't stop his eyes dragging over her body. Damn the curse! It was just as bad for two or three days afterwards as it was before. Of course, he was blaming it on the curse.  
  
He didn't notice when Ginny's eyes took in his figure as well, she grinned at what she saw.  
  
Dumbledore diffused any more potential arguments.  
  
Minerva smiled lightly as Dumbledore invited Ginny to sit down and join them in eating dinner. Harry sat down, and she conjured a chair next to him. So this was the redhead Harry had regularly spoken of since his arrival.  
  
"Miss Westley?" Minerva asked. "Minerva McGonagall, Transfiguration teacher, Head of Gryffindor and Deputy Headmistress. It's a pleasure to meet the witch Harry so often speaks of."  
  
"You speak of me? Oh, how sweet." Ginny told Harry batting her eyelashes at him. He went red, and Ginny grinned at Minerva. "He's so easy to tease. Ginny Westley." She shook the woman's hand.  
  
"Ginny, if the only reason you came is to tease me, I'm sending you right back!" Harry told her.  
  
"You don't know how, so there." She poked her tongue out at him.  
  
"If you do that too often, someone will bite it. Oh, now I'm imagining you without your tongue. It would be such a relief not to hear you prattle." Harry grinned.  
  
"I thought you liked my tongue! Besides, talking's only one of the things I do with it." She winked at him. Minerva almost choked on her pumpkin juice, trying not to laugh. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled more merrily than usual. And Videl grinned.  
  
"Yes, I suppose you do enjoy being able to taste your food as well. I can imagine it would be hard swallowing without your tongue." Harry told her looking serious.  
  
"I'm sure that's not you're worried about." Ginny told him coquettishly. "From what I heard you like a bit of..."  
  
"Ten pin bowling is very agreeable." Harry agreed, placing a hand over the young woman's mouth. Ginny proceeded to lick it. Harry grimaced.  
  
She smiled sweetly at him as he wiped his hand. "See, using my tongue."  
  
"I think we can get off the subject of your tongue for now. That's almost as bad as the conversation you had with Lavender and Parvati about wands. I don't think I ever saw Ron go redder." Harry grinned wistfully.  
  
"Oh yes he did. Do you remember what Mione was shouting when she was in labour?" Ginny asked him.  
  
"Oh yes. Something about never sleeping with him again, never going through labour again, and him losing his manhood if he ever even suggested such a thing again. And that was when she was in a good mood." Harry grinned.  
  
Minerva also did. "My sister gave threats like that to her husband when my niece was born. Didn't work. They've got three more children."  
  
Harry looked suddenly pale, his eyes widening.  
  
"What is it, Harry?" Ginny asked, looking concerned.  
  
"I don't ever want to be near you if you go into labour." He told Ginny seriously. "I know you well enough. You've got your mother's temper and lungs, not to mention your language is as bad as mine. I think you'd scar the entire hospital."  
  
"Like they weren't after the twins were in there? The girls are as bad as them for language. Think it's because of Quidditch?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Quidditch players are the only ones even close to Aurors on the language scales." Harry mused thoughtfully.  
  
And you were both." Ginny giggled. "You did get your Auror license, even if you weren't working so much as one. And you played Quidditch in school."  
  
"As did you, Red." Harry told her.  
  
"Don't call me that." Ginny complained.  
  
"Why not? You call me Blade."  
  
"That's different."  
  
"How?"  
  
"It's because of what you are like. Red is just my hair colour."  
  
Minerva grinned. "Well, it seems hair colour is very important to Potters of any breed. We have another, unrelated, Potter, and he seems quite keen on a redhead too."  
  
"We are not keen on each other!" Harry and Ginny told her off.  
  
"Of course you aren't." Minerva acquiesced agreeably.  
  
# # #  
  
"So, where are your rooms?" Ginny asked.  
  
"DADA classroom and office. Rooms are above it in the tower." Harry told her.  
  
Ginny grinned. "Cool. So, how's teaching going?"  
  
"Well. The Marauders seem to approve of me." Harry grinned happily. "The Slytherins are still bad, but they've got punishment hanging over their heads for using Mudblood in the classroom or anywhere else I might hear them. Five points for first offence, and doubles thereafter."  
  
"Wow, why didn't anyone else think of that?" Ginny wanted to know.  
  
Harry shrugged. "Here we are." There was a portrait of young and rather dashing wizard dressed in medieval fashion, flirting with a young witch from another painting. "Hey, Gareth. Boy Who Lived."  
  
"Certainly, Harry. Got lucky I see." The wizard winked.  
  
"Nope, this is Ginny. She's going to be my assistant." Harry explained.  
  
"Oh, is that all I am to you?" Ginny asked sniffing. "And here I thought we had something special, something wonderful! Oh, Harry, how could you do that to me?"  
  
Harry rolled his eyes. "She's got a flair for the dramatic. She'll be using these rooms as well. I need to set up one for her."  
  
Gareth grinned. "Good luck."  
  
The portrait swung forward. Harry entered, pulling Ginny in. They went up a flight of stairs, to enter the private rooms above the Defence classroom and office.  
  
A small corridor showed four doors.  
  
"My bedroom. Sitting room. Bathroom. Practise room." Harry rattled off. The staircase leads to some empty rooms upstairs. I'd advise you to stay away from the room facing east with the large, thick, oak door. It's not to be touched."  
  
"Why?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Dark Creatures." Harry replied. "That's where the worst ones are stored." It wasn't exactly a lie. A Moonlight Vampire was a truly Dark Creature at the full moon, like a werewolf.  
  
"Okay." Ginny shrugged. She'd check the veracity of his story later. "So, where am I sleeping?"  
  
"In my room, for now. I'll convert another room for your bedroom later. Maybe the practise room should go upstairs. There's a bigger room there. I'll sleep in the bedroom in my trunk." Harry told her.  
  
"Okay." Ginny pulled a small box from her pocket and then her wand. She enlarged the box. It was her trunk. "Thanks Harry."  
  
"Gin, why are you here?"  
  
"I want to be. I figured you'd need company. And no one else will duel with me." She pouted.  
  
Harry laughed. "Good enough, I suppose. Did Albus tell you anything of you? Did he have any memories?"  
  
"Yes, but he was very cagey about it. I think it may be the reason Minerva kept thinking we were hiding in broom closets in my sixth-year."  
  
"Yeah, we need to be more careful about what we say."  
  
Ginny suddenly let out a laugh.  
  
"What's so funny?" Harry asked.  
  
"D'you remember, just after Christmas, in your seventh-year?" Ginny giggled.  
  
"What about it?" Harry wanted to know, confused.  
  
"When McGonagall caught Ron and Hermione..."  
  
"In the Room of Requirement? Yeah, that was priceless. I didn't know she could yell that loudly."  
  
"Or turn that shade of purple."  
  
"And she told them..."  
  
"That there would be plenty of time for _that_ sort of thing after they left school." Ginny smirked. "I think she's got a better memory than we thought. Oh, and speaking of Hermione and Ron doing 'that', Mione's pregnant again."  
  
"Already?" Harry looked surprised. His godson had only been born in March. "How far along?"  
  
"Couple of months. Those two don't waste time." Ginny giggled.  
  
"You can say that again. Don't." Harry told her as she opened her mouth.  
  
"Spoil my fun." She complained, stamping a foot and crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
"When did you turn into a petulant kid?" Harry asked.  
  
"When I didn't get what I wanted." Ginny replied, her voice and stance changing in milliseconds from childish to seductive.  
  
Harry stared at her, and then looked round his bedroom. "Umm, let me just clear away my stuff..."  
  
He swiftly shoved his clothes back into the wardrobe and straightened the bed. "I'll sort your room for you tomorrow."  
  
"Thanks, Harry. Mind if I use the bathroom?" Ginny asked.  
  
"No, no, go ahead. If you need, me, I'll be in the study. I've got some marking to do." Harry told her.  
  
Ginny nodded, a mischievous smile on her face. She pulled a bag and a nightgown from her trunk, and disappeared into the bathroom, which was attached to Harry's bedroom via a door.  
  
Harry sighed. With Ginny around, his life was about to get a lot more complicated.  
  
# # #  
  
"So, what is your opinion of Miss Westley?" Lily asked Sirius in the common room that evening.  
  
"Absolutely gorgeous." Sirius replied, somewhat dreamily.  
  
The boys laughed, while Lily and Pia wrinkled their noses. "That wasn't quite what I meant." Lily told him.  
  
"She seems nice. Definitely intelligent. Mischievous. And she recognised us. How the hell did she know we were the Marauders? She was scolding the Professor for not telling her 'they' were here, and I have a sneaky suspicion that 'they' means us." James frowned.  
  
"And what she called the professor. Blade? Why would she call him that?" Pia wondered.  
  
"We'll have to ask her. Black, I can't believe you said that in front of the entire hall. James and I are not going out!" Lily turned on Sirius.  
  
"Believe me, they sounded like you two. Down to the denying that they're going out." Sirius smirked and then ducked to avoid a swipe from the Head Boy.  
  
"She also has an interesting habit of calling Voldemort names." Remus mused. "I think Snakeface and Mouldywart were two of them. She also referred to Death Eaters as Entrail Eaters. She's either not scared of them or scared and hiding it well."  
  
"Or else she's just trying to rile the Slytherins." James shrugged.  
  
"There's no proof..." Lily began.  
  
"Lily, I _know_ that there are Death Eaters or else wannabes in Slytherin. Snape and Nott included." James told her, leaving no room for doubt.  
  
"Is that why you hex Snape so much?" Lily asked him, somewhat sarcastically.  
  
"No. I hex Snape and the others because of what I find them doing to Muggle-borns and the younger students every other day." James told her. "Look, there's more to do tomorrow, and I didn't sleep well. Good night."  
  
He swept out and away from the common room, heading for his room in the Head Tower.  
  
"Something I said?" Lily asked.  
  
"He's a bit sensitive about it. He hates the bullying they do. Fifth-year it was worst, especially his and Snape's enmity. You saw what James did after the DADA exam. You didn't see what Snape did after the Herbology exam." Remus explained.  
  
"But he said he did that because he exists!" Lily protested.  
  
"He's hardly going to admit to being hurt by Snivellus! Snivellus has now discovered that with James as Head Boy, he can hurt him even more by harming other people. James feels responsible for all of them now. But he doesn't care for recognition. He doesn't want it. He just wants to be seen as himself. The truth is that James is a good person. He's not the person you saw hex Snivellus in Fifth-year." Sirius told her.  
  
"That'd be a lot more convincing if you didn't call him Snivellus all the time!" Lily snapped.  
  
"I have my own grievances with him and his family, and every family like it, including my own!" Sirius yelled, and stormed up to the dorms.  
  
Lily groaned. "I seem to be having that effect on people today."  
  
"Sirius' family is a sore spot for him. Very sore. He ran away before Sixth-year. They're dark. Sirius isn't like that." Remus explained. "Snape's family was traditionally friends with the Blacks. Before Sirius arrived, he and Snape were friends. But once they got to Hogwarts and Sirius became a Gryffindor, it became dislike and hatred. Sirius associates Snape with his own family." Remus explained.  
  
Lily looked sad. "That's too bad. The only trouble I have is with Petunia." She explained to Remus. "My older sister. She thinks being a witch makes me a freak."  
  
Remus understood. "Don't worry, you've plenty of friends here. Even #I# have friends, and we all know what's up with me!"  
  
Lily smiled. "There's nothing wrong with you, Remus. It's just an illness."  
  
Remus nodded. "And there's nothing wrong with you. Your magic is a gift."  
  
Lily smiled. "I'd best go to bed, and see if I can apologise to James."  
  
"Don't worry, Lily. He'll come around eventually." Remus told her.  
  
"Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow morning, Pia." Lily told her best friend.  
  
"Don't you have patrol?" Pia asked, twisting a lock of glossy, chestnut hair around a finger.  
  
"No, Wednesdays and Fridays we have off." Lily smiled, and disappeared.  
  
# # #  
  
A/N: Okay, I don't think that chapter was so good, but it still had what I wanted. You got an idea of Ginny's character. Next chapter will include a little more. She's not _just_ an innuendo-spewing, cheeky prankster. I hope you liked it!  
  
I'd reply to everyone's reviews, but there's just too many of you! Plus, if I'm not careful, someone will report me for having far too long author's notes. But I can't believe I have over 100 reviews now! It's incredible!  
  
But, what the hey! I want to say thanks to:  
  
YamiPaladinofChaos: Glad you like the curse.  
  
Great story (anonymous)  
  
gllandro-83: I'm sorry if it wasn't clear, but Ginny's being evil and over- dramatic. She didn't take him leaving quite that badly, but still...  
  
QuicksilverWitch  
  
Loraliant Angelisa Snape  
  
DSMelody  
  
Callista MacLeod: Being dignified is boring! I'm insane anyway, so there's no need to try! (I did mention I'm evil too, right?)  
  
Kara Adar  
  
Jennifer  
  
Callie Marie Black: The pervy painting was so fun to write! As for Sirius, no idea. Haven't really thought that far ahead!  
  
justblue  
  
snuffles007  
  
sea-my-eyes: Ginevra is such a cool name, isn't it? I've read that it means 'woman of the people', but also that it means 'fair' as in light colouring. Cool, huh?  
  
lluvatar  
  
ghzowy  
  
IceSugarHigh  
  
creative reader  
  
Marauder4eva  
  
playpet14  
  
Me222  
  
Song Gift: Thanks. But to be honest I'd rather have a life-sized Harry plushie. (Evil grins)  
  
Aravilar Faenya: Well, Remus is a little distracted. But he may work these things out.  
  
Shitza  
  
Silver Warrior  
  
Lenorathetrekkie: Thank goodness I'm forgiven!  
  
Yoshikuni-Miharu: Your name's so hard to remember to spell right!  
  
Amanda Lily Potter  
  
NathanPostmark  
  
Rayetta-n-Draco  
  
llama  
  
cocopops  
  
MsMissProngs  
  
Joeyperson: You got that phrase wrong. It's patience is a virtue, virtue is a grace, and Grace is naughty girl who wouldn't wash her face! Sorry, I couldn't resist!  
  
Mary Ava: I'm glad you liked it. The transformation was tricky to write.  
  
Ghostly-Talon: Don't worry, for my other HP fic, it took me ages to get into double figures. I'd posted about the first four chapters before I had a review from someone I didn't know! I'll go check yours though, if you like! And my other fic has 32 chapters with about 169 reviews!  
  
rebekah1: By that point, the vampire's desires become a little hard to control. Hence being easily irritated. Harry meant it as a sort of joke, but it comes out a little too serious. So you were right. The vampire just hadn't surfaced yet!  
  
Writer Chica  
  
Erin Malfoy  
  
Sk8erWitch  
  
A.L.  
  
Fanfic-Frankie: I do want to write books. I have written one, but I think I might rewrite it properly. Especially since my second draft was written when I was 13/14, and the first when I was 11-13!  
  
Candiprincess  
  
Arctic Wolf2  
  
Lion of Gryffindor: It's always cool when someone who's stories you like reviews. So thanks!  
  
Raclswt  
  
spectra2  
  
Pensievegal: Where did he sound like a show off? He wasn't meant to!  
  
Freya4: Thanks!  
  
I can't believe I had so many reviews! Forty-eight or something! That's incredible! Thank you, thank you, thank you!  
  
Happy holidays, and I'll try and update on time next week. If I've got the chapter written!  
  
Lol, Tanydwr 


	6. Chapter 6: Nightmare

This is kind of a transitional chapter, but I hope it's acceptable!  
  
And as for the burning question you all are asking: Does Ginny know that Harry is cursed?  
  
The answer is:  
  
I can't tell you!  
  
Sorry, people, but it's kind of a plot point. Read carefully though, and remember I have a couple of twists in there because my imagination is weird.  
  
Read on and enjoy!  
  
**Chapter 6: Nightmare  
**  
A scream pierced the air. A shrill sound, a sound that ruptured the throat and tore the heart of anyone who heard it.  
  
Harry Potter heard it.  
  
He came hurtling out of the trunk. He had not drunk the Dreamless Sleep potion, planning to use it at a later date. Lucky he didn't, or he would not have heard the screams through the charm he set up. He knew she still had nightmares.  
  
This was one. Ginny was writhing in his bed, the covers twisted about her, screaming in desperation. Cold sweat covered her skin and her lip bled from where she had bit it in frustration. She trembled, thrashed, struggled convulsively against the clammy sheets that had become her prison.  
  
"AAAARRRGH!" She screamed again.  
  
"Ginny!" Harry cried out, flinging himself on the bed beside her. He pressed her body flat, and called her name again. "Ginny, wake up! Please! It's a nightmare, a dream! It's not real!"  
  
She stiffened suddenly, let out a last shrill shriek and then fell limp.  
  
"Ginny? Gin? Wake up." Harry told her softly, sat up now, a hand smoothing her damp and tangled hair.  
  
Her eyes snapped open and she shot up. Then she looked at him. "H-Harry?" She asked, almost wonderingly.  
  
"Yes, Ginny. You're fine, you're safe. Do you remember where you are?" Harry questioned. He'd had experience with these nightmares, sometimes she was so disorientated that she didn't remember anything for several minutes.  
  
"H-Hogwarts?"  
  
"Yes, Hogwarts. In the past. You came to see me, remember?" He checked.  
  
She closed her eyes and opened them. "Yes. Yes, I remember. Merlin, Harry, I was so scared!" She flung her arms around his neck, hugging him close and sobbing.  
  
"Shh, it's okay. You're safe. We're all safe. It's fine. You can't be touched. Not here." He soothed her, patting her head gently. The vulnerable side of Ginny Weasley was rarely shown, but it was surprisingly gentle. The way she had been as a child.  
  
"He killed you. All of you!" She sobbed.  
  
Harry stiffened. He'd had that dream. Many times, in fact. It was one shared by a number of people with such weight on their shoulders. Dumbledore, he knew had suffered such nightmares before. As had Moody, Shacklebolt, Arthur Weasley, Remus. People who had a weight on their shoulders, or a duty to protect. Even with the war over, nightmares still came. Harry believed it was a form of Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Nightmares were common. Some had even suffered flashbacks. He knew there were a number of Aurors who suffered this in varying dosages. No one had got out of the war unscarred.  
  
"I know. It's alright, Gin. It was only a nightmare. A dream. I have them too. You've just got to bleed away the poison of the memory. You've got to accept it and destroy it." Harry told her.  
  
After a few minutes, Ginny let go of Harry, looking sheepish. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up or anything..."  
  
"It's okay. I had a charm on you, to keep an eye. Or an ear. I figured being in a new environment might inspire a dream or two. I got them as well." Harry confided.  
  
"Well, anyway, I'm fine now." Ginny told him. "Just let me get out and change. I'm a bit damp."  
  
He nodded and got off the bed as she pulled out another nightgown and entered the bathroom. Of course, he couldn't help but admire the way her satin nightgown clung to her figure, damp with sweat...  
  
_'Get a grip on yourself, Potter.'_ He told himself sternly. _'This is Ginny we're talking about, remember? Best friend's little sister. She's just had a nightmare. In no way should you be salivating over her body!'  
_  
But he couldn't help himself. Each curve was defined. Each nook and cranny promising...  
  
'_Stupid curse! Stop thinking about her! This curse always has you thinking of her!'_ Harry scowled.  
  
He was lying to himself. He'd been fighting an attraction to Ginny Weasley since Sixth-year. And he had been succeeding remarkably well. The Lust Curse cast upon him in the final battle had scaled things up to the point where he wanted her so badly. He had steadfastly ignored the growing attraction, but there was something about Ginny, something undefined, something primal in his desire for her. And attraction and want were quickly turning to love and need.  
  
"Harry?" Ginny asked, heading back into the room.  
  
He looked up. She was wearing a clean nightgown, this one a thin, white cotton in an old-fashioned style. (A/N: Think Elizabeth's nightgown in Pirates of the Caribbean.) She'd brushed her hair and it fell in curls and ringlets about her face.  
  
"Hey," he smiled softly. "Feel better?"  
  
"Much. I can't believe I fell apart like that." She sighed.  
  
"Ginny, we've both been through things that would break another witch or wizard. I think we've got every right to fall apart once in a while." Harry chuckled. He pulled her into a hug, resting his head upon hers. "It doesn't matter. I don't think any less of you, and I won't tell anyone."  
  
"Good," she replied, moving her head to look up at him, "you'd better not."  
  
"Promise."  
  
She smiled. "Thank you, Harry." She kissed his cheek gently. "Now, if you don't mind, I think I ought to actually get some sleep."  
  
He grinned. It was then he realised that he was only wearing his boxers. He rolled his eyes. "Goodnight, Ginny."  
  
"'Night, Harry." She smirked.  
  
As he turned and climbed back into the trunk, Ginny moaned.  
  
_'Why did he have to be so nice? And in those boxers... It was all I could do to quit drooling. He keeps making this harder to fight. I can't and I need to. But if he ever finds out... He can't. He won't want me. But there's just something I need. Desperately.' _Ginny sighed.  
  
The two DADA teachers were in trouble.  
  
They were desperately attracted to each other, and denying it and defying it.  
  
It was a cauldron of trouble that was soon to explode.  
  
# # #  
  
The next morning was fresh, clear. Harry thanked God his taste buds were back to normal as he ate cereal for breakfast. He had a free period first, and had decided to sort Ginny's room out then, by moving the training room to the floor above. The floor with the Moonlight Room, as Harry called it.  
  
Down on the Gryffindor table, Lily apologised to James, only to have it waved away.  
  
"It doesn't matter, Lils. I just... It's a sensitive subject." James told her. "I hate what Snape and his cronies do to others. Fifth-year was just... It got out of hand."  
  
"Still, I'm sorry. Though why you didn't just say that in the first place..."  
  
"Let Snape know in some respect that it was hurting me? Not likely. He'd just do it some more." James responded.  
  
"I guess."  
  
"It's impossible to psycho-analyse James, Lily. I suggest you don't bother. He's enough to drive the psychiatrists to psychiatrists." Remus told her with a grin.  
  
"Thanks, Remus. Nice to see you think so much of my brain." James remarked dryly.  
  
"Miss Westley looks tired." Sirius observed.  
  
Remus looked up there. He frowned. "They both do. Maybe they didn't get enough sleep."  
  
That one off-hand comment was enough to make Lily, Pia, Sirius and James choke on whatever they were eating or drinking, trying not to laugh.  
  
Remus rolled his eyes. "I didn't mean that, you guys! They were probably up late talking. Maybe Professor Potter didn't take that Dreamless Sleep Potion."  
  
"What potion?" James asked, frowning.  
  
Remus slapped his forehead. "I didn't tell you! Listen, yesterday morning he turned up in the hospital wing..." He proceeded to relate the conversation and his observations from the previous morning.  
  
"That's interesting. He had a struggle with a magical creature?" James looked curious. "Very interesting."  
  
"How?"  
  
"There's just a few things... But I want to be sure. We need some more information. And I think we also need to know who 'they' are, who Miss Westley was referring to. I suspect it's us." James explained.  
  
"What's your first lesson?" Peter asked.  
  
"Potions, ugh. You?" James responded.  
  
"Care of Magical Creatures. I wonder if Professor Kettleburn's up to teaching again." Peter mused. "He lost a finger last lesson. I don't think he's all that fond of dragons at the moment."  
  
Lily couldn't help laughing as she overheard him.  
  
Pia – Lily's best friend – grinned. "I wouldn't like dragons either if they bit off one of my fingers."  
  
"Funnily enough, that'd make people go off them, wouldn't it?" Sirius commented.  
  
"Except maybe Hagrid. He's always wanted a dragon." James mused.  
  
"What other lessons for today?"  
  
"Double Defence this afternoon. I'm quite looking forward to it. I think it could be amusing as well as informative." James gave a smirk.  
  
"What do you mean?" Lily looked confused.  
  
"Well, I'm kind of looking forward to seeing the banter between our professor and his new assistant. We might be able to glean some info from them." James clarified.  
  
"Info? What info?"  
  
"Just some stuff." James told her evasively. However, the look exchanged with Remus suggested that 'some stuff' wasn't what they were after. They wanted to know what made that change in the professor scent.  
  
"He knows a lot about the Deadly Curses, doesn't he?" Pia wondered. "Bit odd, really. Especially knowing that much about Moonlight Vampires. I think I'd rather come across a normal vampire. At least they only suck your blood. And they're a lot better at the seduction stuff. I'd rather be seduced than... y'know... attacked." She looked uncomfortable.  
  
"I wonder what happens to Moonlight Vampires that deny themselves blood and... er... the means to abate the lust." Lily thought aloud, carefully wording her question.  
  
"Ask him this afternoon. Or ask Miss Westley. Maybe she'll be able to clarify a few points." Remus recommended.  
  
"Yeah, that could be very interesting." James murmured, silently adding a promise to himself to ask the Defence Professor a question that had been burning in his mind since the first lesson.  
  
# # #  
  
"Ginny, you're going to be the death of me." Harry stated as he prepared for his afternoon class.  
  
"Oh? And why is that?" The mischievous redhead wanted to know.  
  
"That would be because you're being evil. You keep second-guessing me and undermining me, and it isn't fun. Anyway, this afternoon, seventh-year NEWT class. We're studying Dark Curses. Such as the Unforgivables and Deadlies."  
  
"Yay, Vampires, Werewolves and Veela." Ginny stated.  
  
"Oh my." Harry quipped. Ginny shot him a strange look. "Sorry, Muggle reference. The Wizard of Oz. Popular children's film. Been out for years, this time and our own."  
  
"I don't know that one. Maybe you could find a free night and take me to see it." Ginny stated, her voice low and husky.  
  
Harry, feeling flustered but reluctant to show it, merely replied. "I'm afraid it isn't often shown in cinemas. You'd have to be prepared for a private night in."  
  
"I think I could cope with that." Ginny told him.  
  
Harry looked at her. When had she got so close? He would have sworn she was the other side of the classroom a moment ago. Now, though, she was stood in front of him.  
  
"You really think so?" He asked her, desperately keeping his voice even, trying to make his breath come out evenly, not raggedly as it was trying to.  
  
Ginny looked up at him. Those green eyes were so expressive, so beautiful. She just wanted to peer into them for hours. And the lips below, so soft, delicate, yet the mouth was decisive, strong. She felt her breathing turn erratic, half-wishing she hadn't begun this tease. It was tormenting her. She wasn't supposed to fee like this... She'd put it away in her fourth- year... But now...  
  
The two time-travellers were caught in each other's gaze. Time seemed to still around them as they stared into each other's eyes, trying to catch glimpses of the depths of the other's soul. Raw emotion was exuding from their body, creating a shell around them, a specific aura that seemed to beg for them to quit playing around. They were both falling hard and fast (if they hadn't already), and the primal forces that seemed to link them together was more powerful than anything else.  
  
Ginny shuddered as she felt her body desiring him, responding to his presence without any conscious thought. She dragged her eyes away from his face, only to find them trickling over every inch of his body.  
  
_'Stop it!'_ She told herself. _'You can't feel like this! He'll never... Not after... That stupid curse! It gets in the way of everything!'  
_  
Harry felt his own eyes drag over her body as her gaze left his. Anxiously, he tried not to, but his mind was processing every factor of her appearance.  
  
At that moment, the door opened.  
  
They turned to face the students automatically, wiping away every suggestion of what had been occurring before. Soon enough, everyone had filed in and was sat down.  
  
Lily raised a hand.  
  
"Well, I guess I didn't even need to start lecturing for questions to be asked. Or is this not so much about the subject?" Harry asked.  
  
"Not so much, sir. I was just wondering about Miss Westley's appearance yesterday." Lily explained.  
  
Ginny, sat on Harry's desk wearing loose light blue robes over jeans and a white top, smirked. "See, I'm a hot topic."  
  
"Well, I suppose you can be classed as hot." Harry told her seriously. "Like your entire family, likes to breathe fire when in a redheaded temper. Boys, take notes on the single most incredibly dangerous magical creature – a witch. Especially if she has a temper, hormones and a speciality."  
  
"Tell me about it. You don't want to be on the wrong end of Lily's Jelly- Legs Jinx." James mumbled, just loud enough for everyone to hear. They all laughed, while Lily flushed.  
  
"Miss Westley arrived as she did yesterday because she has a flair for the dramatic. She's my best friend's little sister, but also one of my best friends in her own right." Harry told them, adding the second half of the sentence very quickly.  
  
"What about her sharing your room?" Sirius wanted to know.  
  
Ginny actually slushed, while Harry smirked. "She was joking. She is sharing the same suite, since they can't afford a second lot of DADA teacher's quarters, but has her own room. Lucky she does, otherwise I'd have to hex her for snoring."  
  
"I don't snore!"  
  
"I have it on good authority that you do." Harry grinned. "Now, how about we actually learn something about defending yourself against the Dark Arts?"  
  
Harry proceeded to give them descriptions of a number of Dark Curses that were popular with Death Eaters, as well as the best ways to defend against them.  
  
"Next lesson, we'll be studying the Unforgivables in more detail. If you want to find out more yourself, go ahead." Harry told them.  
  
"Sir, I was reading about the Deadly Curses for our essay. I was wondering, what happens if a Moonlight Vampire – while in his or her sane, human form – denies themself the means to slake their lust?" Lily asked.  
  
Harry looked at her, then nodded. "Fair question. From the few accounts written, it throws the Vampire into an incredible rage. They will harm themselves in an attempt for blood, and to distract themselves from the intense need for, um, sex. Some will provide themselves with blood. Sometimes a vial of it, other times a pouch from a butcher's. Others will even take creatures, rats or some such creature, to feed themself." He sighed. "As for the lust, it merely furies the Vampire to self-harm."  
  
"What's the difference between male and female Moonlight Vampires?" Sirius asked, his voice had an audible smirk.  
  
"Do I really need to go into biology? If you can't tell the difference between girls and boys by now, Mr Black, I don't like to think about your poor girlfriends." Harry replied, an evil grin gracing his lips.  
  
Ginny giggled. Sirius looked mortified.  
  
"I didn't mean _that_, sir. I just meant... well... is there any difference in their reactions?"  
  
"Yes. In vampiric form, the female is more aggressive and stronger. It's an even worse idea to get stuck with a female Moonlight Vampire than a male one. During the rest of the month, however, the males are more aggressive, as they seem to have more trouble with controlling their lust, even as normal humans." Ginny smirked at Harry. "I never want to come across a teenage, male Moonlight Vampire. That could be deadly."  
  
"See, I knew this was a bad idea. You're trying to instigate a battle of the sexes, aren't you?" Harry demanded.  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes. "I've had to put up being the youngest in a family of males with only Mum for support. I'm just evil. Not Voldemort-evil, of course. Just..."  
  
"Evil-evil?" Harry suggested.  
  
Before she could respond, the bell rang.  
  
"Don't forget to work on your original tasks!" Harry told them all. "And a little background on the Unforgivables would be a good idea!"  
  
The students left. Well, all but one.  
  
"Mr Potter? Is there some way we can help you?" Harry asked.  
  
"I want to be an Auror when I leave school. I was wondering if you could help me with any extra training. Even if it's just duelling or something. You're both powerful, and with Voldemort on the loose, I could do with all the extra training I can get."  
  
Harry examined him. It would be weird, teaching his father more advanced techniques, but he felt that he had to do all he could. And there was no trace of the arrogant person Harry had seen in Snape's pensieve. Maybe this was what Sirius and Remus had meant by James growing up in seventh- year. He nodded slowly.  
  
"Come here on Monday after dinner. We'll see what your strengths and weaknesses are and go on from there. You've got a lot of potential, Mr Potter. I would be glad to help you utilise it." Harry told him.  
  
"Thank you Professor!" James grinned. "This really means a lot to me!"  
  
"It's fine, Mr Potter. Now go on. You've got work to do." Harry grinned.  
  
The Head Boy nodded, grinning, and left the room.  
  
Ginny looked at him, raising a brow and mimicked. "You have a lot of potential, Mr Potter. I would be glad to help you utilise it."  
  
"If you're so glad to help me, meet me in the training room in half an hour. I feel like some swordplay." Harry told her.  
  
Ginny grinned. "You're on!"  
  
# # #  
  
A/N: Hope that was okay. Not my best work, but there you go.  
  
I have very little time at the moment, so I'd just like to say thanks to everyone who reviewed! You've all been great and really supportive.  
  
Now, if anyone has any ideas for pranks, plot points, twists, anything, I would appreciate it. If I like it, I'll use it and give credit! Others may get their names in! See, I'm a rewarding person!  
  
Lol, Tanydwr 


	7. Chapter 7: Dance

I know this chapter is short. Sorry about that, having trouble with inspiration. 

Ah, now many of you are wondering: Does Ginny share Harry's curse?

The truth is...

...

...

...

I CAN'T TELL YOU!

I don't want to ruin it! If she is, it could be vital to the plot. If she isn't, you're gonna figure out how her curse is different. So be patient and bear with me!

I suggest you read this listening to 'El Tango De Roxanne' from Moulin Rouge. And I don't own the song!

Read on and enjoy please!

**Chapter 7: Dance**

There was a rhythmical, steadily beating music playing in the practise room. It was to this music that the duel took place. (A/N: Sorry, but think of ballroom dance music. More along the lines of the Tango than the Waltz though!)

Up. Harry's sabre hit Ginny's as she blocked above her head.

Across. With a clash, Ginny's sword met Harry's as he blocked a strike that could have carved his stomach open.

Down. Ginny blocked a downward slash at her legs from Harry's sword.

Arc. Harry blocked the blow aimed for his biceps as Ginny's sword flicked out and back in.

Again the exchange of blows was played, almost dance-like as each blow came with a perfect defence. Then it became faster. And faster.

Strike. Hit. Blow. Smite. Up. Down. Across. Front. Block. Parry. Deflect. Thrust. Forwards. Backwards. Right. Left.

The swords glistened in the torchlight of the room, the brief glimpses of light the only way of identifying their position. They moved too fast to be seen.

Finally it stopped, Ginny's blade resting at the hollow of Harry's neck, his pointed right between her breasts, angled to slice into her heart.

Barely breathing heavier than usual, they parted from each other.

"Glad that I haven't lost my touch. Can't do that on your own." Harry grinned.

"Lost your touch? Harry, this is like riding a broom. You can never lose it after you've really learnt it. Especially not after only a couple of weeks." Ginny told him exasperatedly.

He grinned at her. Just that grin made Ginny want to do things that she had never experienced. Never even imagined in the darkest and deepest recesses of her heart and mind...

"So? Now what? Magical duel? Fencing? Unarmed combat? The Pagoda?" Harry joked.

"Maybe a few dances wouldn't hurt. You're quite good when you've learnt a few steps. Not the Pagoda though. Something a little more... dangerous. The Tango?" Ginny suggested.

Harry grinned. "As you wish."

A flick of a wand began their favourite Tango. 'El Tango De Roxanne'. It was a favourite of theirs.

The first few strands of music played without lyrics. The movements were sensual, daring, fiery... dangerous. Harry had always said that the Tango reminded him of a duel. Ginny sometimes said that a duel reminded her of the Tango. Ron always said that the Tango was Ginny and Harry's future relationship – one that he'd rather not know the fruition of, being Ginny's brother and all.

Then the lyrics began.

Tango Dancer: _Will drive you,_

_  
Will drive you,_

_  
Will drive you,_

_  
Mad!_

Ginny spun to face Harry, her wrist caught in his hand as he slowly walked her back, his eyes fierce. He always seemed to play a part in this song. His other hand caught her lower back as she felt herself dipped, she trickled a hand over his face.

_Roxanne,_

_  
You don't have to put_

_  
On that red light._

_Walk the streets for money,_

_  
You don't care if_

_  
It's wrong or if it is right._

Ginny twisted each way, almost trying to escape his clutches. But then she turned back, a dangerous, seductive smile on her lips, arching her body to show a lithe figure in the tight blue dress she wore.

_  
Roxanne,_

_  
You don't have to wear_

_  
That dress tonight._

_  
Roxanne,_

_  
You don't have to sell your_

_  
Body to the night._

Ginny felt herself nearly on the ground, and then pulled herself up, hands on his face, leg sliding on the outside of his. They separated, the movements circling, like opponents sizing each other up.

Roxanne's Lover: _His eyes upon your face,_

_  
His hand upon your hand,_

_  
His lips caress your skin,_

_  
It's more than I can stand!_

Harry savagely pulled Ginny back into his arms, pulling her into the classic Tango pose.

Tango dancer: _Roxanne,_ Roxanne's Lover: _Why does my heart cry?_ Tango dancer: _Roxanne,_ Roxanne's Lover: _Feelings I can't fight,_

_  
You're free to leave me,_

_  
But just don't deceive me_

_  
And please,_

_  
Believe me when I say,_

_  
I love you._

At that phrase, both dancers' eyes seemed to darken as they bore into each other, miles of words stretching between them.

(Spanish dialogue) 

_Y yo que te quiero tanto, ¿qué voy a hacer?_

_  
Me dejaste, me dejaste_

_  
El alma se me fue, se me fue corazón,_

_  
Ya no tengo ganas de vivir,_

_  
Porque no te puedo convencer_

_  
Que no te vendas Roxanne_

A savage whirl of dancing followed as the words became louder, sharper, more heartfelt. The dance reflected the song perfectly.

Tango dancer: _Roxanne_ Roxanne's Lover: _Why does my heart cry?_ Tango dancer: _You don't have to_

_Put on that red light._

Roxanne's Lover: _Feelings I can't fight._ Tango dancer: _You don't have to wear_

_  
That dress tonight._

_Roxanne,  
_  
Chorus: _Why does my heart cry?_

_  
_Tango dancer: _You don't have to put on_

_That red light._

Chorus: _Feelings I can't fight_ Tango dancer: _You don't have to wear_

_  
That dress tonight_

_  
Roxanne_

Ginny's wrists were caught between Harry's hands as he forced her back in a dangerous, deadly move.

_  
Roxanne_

She fell to the floor, looking dejected, before, whipping up, facing him with defiance and anger. He seized her in his arms.

_  
Roxanne_

As the final notes played, he almost flung her into the dip, where she looked near dead, his head bent down over the pale skin of her neck.

As the music ceased, Ginny looked up, into Harry's eyes.

What she saw was frightening and thrilling. Those emerald orbs held so many emotions, but she could see desire, want, need, along with fear, desperation... Barely concealed lust. Maybe even love, she couldn't tell. She matched stare for stare, knowing that her own desires, emotions, wants, needs were there, like books in a library for him to peruse. What was she seeing in his eyes? What did it mean?

Slowly he brought her up, not looking away from her. They were both stood.

Harry was terrified by what he could see in those chocolaty-brown eyes. Raw emotions flashes through, most too quickly to identify, but others... Many seemed to mirror his own. Want, desire, need, fear, anxiety, apprehension... Others he wasn't sure of. Did he see love? Did he see lust? What was he seeing in the eyes of his friend, opponent and dance partner, Ginevra Weasley?

Their breathing became erratic and heavy as they gazed into each other's eyes, searching, querying. They didn't notice how close their bodies were, they way Ginny's head was titled upwards, the way Harry's was tilted down, the static electricity that spilled from a single touch...

Suddenly a bell rang.

Harry leapt back, wand in hand, before remembering the sound of someone wanting to enter his suite who didn't have the password.

"Someone wants to speak to us. Come on." Harry told her.

They walked down the stairs, trying to steady their breathing and heart rates.

Harry opened the portrait hole to see Professor McGonagall waiting.

"Harry, I needed... Oh." Minerva stated, seeing their garb.

Harry was still dressed in the trousers and loose Spanish-style shirt, half-buttoned he wore for the dance. Ginny was still wearing the deep blue dress with it's tight-fitted, strapped top and flared skirt.

Harry looked down and smiled. "We were dancing. Haven't done that in a while. Helps with agility and footwork for duelling." He explained. "We just tend to dress the part as well."

Minerva raised a brow. "What dance?"

"Tango." Ginny replied, and began to smirk. "Harry's quite the dancer, you know. Once he forgets to be nervous, he's very good. Definitely gets into the part..."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Is there anything we can do for you, Minerva?"

"Yes, actually. Your presence is needed at a staff meeting. Albus only just organised it. Something about boosting student morale." McGonagall explained.

"Oh. Well, let us change and we'll be in the staff room in a few minutes' time." Harry replied.

The Transfiguration teacher nodded. "I'll see you there."

She turned and walked away, smirking.

"Let's change." Harry smiled at Ginny. "I'm not entirely sure the staff will appreciate me turning up like this."

"Some of the students might though." Ginny smirked. "And maybe one or two of the staff." She gave him a very appreciative and sultry look.

Harry couldn't repress feeling a little hot under the collar, ignoring the fact he wasn't wearing a shirt with a collar.

"Anyone in mind?" Harry asked, his voice husky.

"Oh, I've my suspicions." Ginny grinned.

They reached the landing, and the doors.

"I might be a little longer." Harry told her. "I could do with a shower."

Ginny grinned. "You could be right." She shrugged. "Dancing does tend to make you rather warm."

As if to emphasise her point, she wiped a hand over her forehead smoothing back her hair, and then over her neck, where Harry could see beads of sweat glistening. As she did so though, a strap slipped of her shoulder. Harry looked at her. It made her seem all the more seductive and nubile... No, he couldn't think of that! He also began to realise that it meant that she nothing on underneath the top part of the dress. In fact, his eyes seemed to drag to where that was obvious, and he realised that she must be very warm indeed.

Without warning, he rushed into his room, slamming the door.

'_I definitely need a shower,'_ he thought. _'A cold one.'_

# # #

About fifteen minutes later, Harry and Ginny appeared in the staff room, looking refreshed and at ease. And much more appropriately dressed. Ginny wore closed robes of a deep red, form-fitting, but not so close as to cause Harry any... discomfort. Harry merely wore black trousers, green shirt and a very dark green open robe over them. They both looked very professional and calm – the exact opposite to what was bubbling under their cool demeanours.

"I am afraid that the situation with Voldemort is growing worse. Since the beginning of term, we have already received two black letters. I fear that this will break student morale. With Hogsmeade visits few and far between, we need another way to keep spirits up." Dumbledore looked at them. "Anything feasible will be considered. Any suggestions?"

"What about on Hallowe'en?" Harry suggested. "Something other than the feast? A masquerade ball, perhaps?"

"Or at Christmas, a Yule Ball. Or a talent show." Ginny recommended.

"Yes. Yes, those could be quite uplifting." Dumbledore looked thoughtful.

"A Duelling Tournament? Or exhibition matches?" Videl considered. "I believe a number of students would like to see their DADA professors in action as they so frequently boast about their abilities."

"We do not boast!" Ginny cried.

"We merely... state. We're making a comment. It's not meant to be boastful!" Harry protested.

"A Valentine's Day Ball?" Professor Flitwick suggested. "I remember one when I was a young..."

Harry smirked. "How about a Valentine's Day Ball with a twist?" The others raised brows. "It takes forever for a guy to work up the courage to ask a girl out. Why not reverse that, and make it so the girls ask the boys?"

"Harry! That's so cruel!" Ginny cried.

"It's perfect." Harry, Professor Kettleburn and Professor Rees, the Divination Professor, declared in unison.

"It will take more planning for all of these balls and suchlike, but I believe it would be a good idea." Dumbledore nodded.

"And what about a celebration at the end of the exams, prior to the Leaving Feast? Another talent show, or a Graduation ceremony for the Seventh-years where we give the awards we really want to give." Harry grinned.

"Awards?" Minerva questioned.

"The award for causing most trouble in my class ever goes to..." Harry replied as though he was onstage.

"Sirius Black!" Half the teachers yelled.

Harry and Ginny exchanged smirks.

"See?"

"Yes, yes, very good. Well, I believe dinner will be served shortly. Best get to the Great Hall." Dumbledore told them.

Harry and Ginny smiled at each other. That was a job well done. And no said the teachers weren't allowed to have a little fun as well...

Silently making plans, the two time-travellers ate, trying not to think about the connection between them that was making spending time with each other so difficult.

The cauldron was beginning to boil...

# # #

A/N: I've had loads of lovely, wonderful reviews, but I'm not allowed to reply! Well, I probably am, but people keep getting told off for long A/Ns and I don't want to get told off. If you have any burning questions, e-mail me. But not too many at a time!

Next week, folks!

Lol, Tanydwr


	8. Chapter 8: Meetings

Mainly the students in this chapter, thought it was about time to see them a bit more. And I can't believe I have so many reviews! You guys are awesome! I have more than 200 for seven chapters!

Sorry that this update is so late! I was on holiday last week, and so couldn't update, and the week before I experienced some Friday the Thirteenth bad luck – the chapter wouldn't upload! And I'll only update on Fridays, unless there's an important reason...

Sorry!

Anyway, enjoy...

**Chapter 8: Meetings**

"James Potter, get your ass in here NOW!" Lily Evans' voice rang through the halls.

"_What_?" James demanded, walking into the meeting room, breathing heavily, sweating and red in the face. "We haven't got a meeting until tomorrow, Lily! Couldn't you have waited until _after_ I'd finished practise?"

"Professor Dumbledore wants to see us now." She replied.

"Great, Professor Dumbledore couldn't wait until after practise either." James grumbled. He yanked his wand out of a pocket. "_Refrigerare_." He flicked the wand at himself, and instantly looked refreshed and clean.

Lily looked impressed. "What's that?"

"Refresh Charm. If you have no chance of a shower, you can quickly clean up." James replied. "Always useful with Aurors for parents and those bloody Ministry balls."

They began walking to Professor Dumbledore's office. James first poked his head round into the DADA classroom.

"Um, Professor Potter, Miss Westley? Sorry 'bout that. Apparently we've got to go and speak to Professor Dumbledore." James told them, observing keenly the static that seemed to be connecting his two teachers. They were staring at each other intensely, like they'd been arguing or something.

"That's fine, James." Professor Potter stated, out of class, he tended to use the boy's first name.

"Thanks, sir." James grinned and rejoined Lily. He looked at her oddly and frowned. "I swear there's something weird about those two."

"Why?"

"Who else would just stand there staring at each other? That what they were doing. And it was like they had static electricity between them. A storm brewing. Dangerous."

"They fancy each other, I know that much." Lily smirked.

"Yeah, that could be it. Would explain the endless flirting in the lessons. But have you seen them duel? It's like they're dancing or something. Potter tends to win, but Miss Westley gives as good as she gets. She lasts longer than Videl did. There's something freaky about them. They're too fast." James sighed and then shrugged. "I'll talk to the others later. Anyway, any idea what Dumbledore wants?"

"Nope. He just said something about planning. I've no idea what he means." Lily sighed. "Hopefully it won't be anything too serious. I hope nothing's happened."

"Things are always happening. Hoping's not going to change it." James told her, his voice serious. "We just have to work on our strengths and _hope_ that _we_ can change it. Make a difference. One day Voldemort will be defeated and people will be safe again. I just pray he's not around to make our children's lives living hell as well."

Lily looked at him strangely. James had never said something so... astute to her before. He really did have more layers than she had thought he did.

It wasn't long before they arrived at the Headmaster's Office. "Drooble's Best Blowing Gum." James stated to the gargoyle.

It jumped aside and the two Heads stepped onto the moving stairs up to Dumbledore's inner sanctum. James reflected that this was only one of three times he had been called here when he wasn't in trouble for something.

Just as he raised his hand to knock, Professor Dumbledore's voice seeped through.

"Do come in, James, Miss Evans." He called jovially.

"You're on first-name terms with the headmaster?" Lily asked, shocked, as James opened the door.

"Can't be a Marauder and not be." He grinned, and then gave a flourishing bow, holding the door open. "Ladies first."

Lily rolled her eyes, but a good-natured smile betrayed her. "Thank you."

"James, Miss Evans, do sit down." Professor Dumbledore told them, gesturing to two chairs in front of his desk.

"Lemon drop?"

"No thank you, sir." James replied.

"No, no thank you." Lily murmured.

She studied the room with curiosity; she hadn't been in here since her first-year. It hadn't changed. She looked at the portraits of previous headteachers and scowled. She wondered which one had decided on placing that perverted painting in the Heads' bathroom.

In fact, many of them seemed to be observing the two heads with interest.

"Who's this, Dumbledore?" A thin woman asked. "Marauders causing trouble?"

"No, no, this is the Head Boy and Head Girl, James Potter and Lily Evans. Surely you remember that." Dumbledore looked at her with a twinkle in his eye.

"I must've been asleep."

"A Marauder as Head Boy? What can you be thinking?" A man with a cold and distasteful look demanded.

"Hello, Nigellus. Sirius hasn't had a detention in a whole week, aren't you proud?" James smirked at the painting.

"He is none of my concern."

"He's family. 'Course, he's actually a good person with the name Black, so I understand why you might dislike him..." James mused.

"James, Phineas, enough. James, Miss Evans..."

"Call me Lily, sir. If I'm Head Girl, there will probably be more meetings like this." Lily told him politely, then blushed as she realised she had interrupted.

"Lily, it has been decided that with the threat of Voldemort and the terror he is aiming to inspire, the school will be needing to boost morale. So we had a meeting, and we have some suggestions. We would like something for Hallowe'en and Christmas. A suggestion for Hallowe'en was a masquerade ball..."

"Yes!" James grinned. "With masks, people won't know which houses others are from! It can be used to create more unity within the school."

"I thought you hated Slytherins, James." Lily raised a brow.

"I hate the Dark Arts and their ideals. One or two of them are alright. I certainly can't say that I hate every single first-year, can I? Besides, the main ones who follow Voldemort have graduated or are in our year or the year below." James replied.

Lily stared at him. Then she placed a hand on his forehead. "No temperature. Are you sure you're alright?"

"Oh, get lost. I'm not a completely blind idiot, you know. Besides, if I treated them like they are all Death Eaters, I'd be doing exactly what they do to those who don't follow their ideals. Besides, Videl's a Slytherin, and I know she doesn't follow Voldemort."

"Very sensible, James. You seem to be growing up." Dumbledore observed.

"Spend long enough with Potter and Westley and you'll find that you change your views a bit too." James grinned.

"Have you been spending extra time with them?" Dumbledore asked.

"They're helping me with my duelling. Teaching me to get better." James explained.

"Good, very good. Now. I'll leave it to you and the prefects to decide on what exactly you want to do for Hallowe'en and Christmas. Come back to me by the end of the month with the chosen ideas, and we'll see what we can do. There will be a Hogsmeade weekend the weekend before Hallowe'en. If you do decide on a masquerade ball, people can get costumes and such like then." Dumbledore told them.

They nodded.

"You can go now." Dumbledore smiled.

"Thank you, sir." Lily nodded and stood.

"Bye sir." James grinned, and held the door open for Lily again.

The door closed, and Dumbledore looked at the old headteachers.

"Those two are destined for each other. No mistake." Dilys Derwent told him.

"I concur." The witch from before agreed.

"As do I. I hope they are ready for it though." Dumbledore sighed, looking to the door.

"So, what do we know about the two of them?" James asked the other Marauders later that evening.

"Make a list." Sirius grinned.

Remus, being the ever-practical person, did just that, bringing out two pieces of paper. At the top of the first, he wrote _'What we know about Harry Potter'_ and on the second _'What we know about Ginevra Westley'_.

Sirius groaned. "I wasn't being serious, Moony."

"You can't be anything else, Padfoot." Remus shot back. "Besides, it's easier to make the connections this way."

"Okay, what do we know about Professor Potter?" Peter asked.

"He's teaching DADA." Sirius began.

"Duh." Remus rolled his eyes as he wrote it down. "He's spent time with the Aurors and has an Auror licence."

"Master dueller in both magic and weaponry." James added. "Unarmed too. Uses a mixture of techniques. It's one of the things that makes him so good."

"Really? Interesting." Remus marked down. "He's got an unusual scent. There's blood mixed in with mint, as well as magic. He's got dark mixed in with light, and I'm not sure what it means."

"You saw him in the Hospital Wing after the last full moon. Battling a Dark Creature or not, that's suspicious in itself." James pointed out.

"Not fully human. I sensed that." Remus added.

"Responded very well to our pranks. He's firm, but he knows how to laugh. Hates segregation and prejudice." Sirius added.

"Sounds like James." Peter grinned.

"Yeah, but no one believes me when I say he's James' son from the future." Sirius pouted.

James rolled his eyes. "That's because he's not. Anything else?"

"Miss Westley calls him Blade for some reason." Peter piped up.

"She does, I'd forgotten that." Remus grinned.

They fell into silence, trying to think of anything else. After adding a couple more statements to the list, they proceeded onto Miss Westley.

"She's known as Ginny." Remus stated.

"Gorgeous." Sirius murmured.

"Which does not need to be stated. Good dueller, nearly as good as Professor Potter, but he usually beats her. She _can_ beat him, just not often. She's the same with weapons and unarmed combat. Good with healing too, I heard the professor say." James commented.

"She recognised us on the first time she appeared. Flair for the dramatic." Sirius pointed out.

"Flirts with Professor Potter." Peter remarked.

"He flirts back."

"They fancy each other." James rolled his eyes.

"Calls the Professor Blade."

"She's got at least three brothers, Fred, George and Ron." Remus remembered. "Ron is the professor's best friend as well. And his wife, Hermione."

"Wow, they must have married young." Peter commented.

"Right out of school from the sounds of things." James mentioned, then frowned. "Where did they go to school?"

"I think Potter mentioned Skirret. It's in Canada, isn't it? He said they moved there when he was ten. His parents were killed by Voldemort." Remus considered.

"We forgot that. He despises Voldemort, both of them have various names for Voldemort and the Death Eaters." Sirius smirked.

They continued to throw around comments and ideas, until James thought of something else.

"They both know a remarkable amount about the Deadly Curses. Remus, have you got Miss Westley's scent yet?"

"No, it's too long after the full moon, she never got close enough to me just after. We'll have to wait a while." Remus replied. "Why?"

"Because if we know her scent, maybe we can detect any similarities or differences between them. But all the same..." James shrugged.

"We just gotta keep an eye on them. That's all."

It was the prefects' meeting. Lily and James were explaining Dumbledore's request.

"We need to plan something for Hallowe'en and Christmas. I figured the Christmas event could be on the last weekend before, so that those who go home for Christmas don't miss out." Lily explained.

"Dumbledore suggested a masquerade ball for Hallowe'en. We reckon it'll work. We just need a theme for decorations, I mean we could go with the usual Hallowe'en stuff, or we could choose something different. Costumes are left up to the students. The only proviso is that they either wear a mask, or use a glamour or transfiguration to change their face so they can't be recognised." James told them.

"How about an old-fashioned Hallowe'en theme? From say, five hundred years ago? Or when the Founders would celebrate it?" A Ravenclaw prefect named Henson Blake suggested. "With some research, we could make it very authentic."

"That sounds good. Any other suggestions?" Lily asked.

No one else had any good ideas. It was decided that they would have an old-fashioned Hallowe'en theme.

"Now Christmas. A ball? Or something else? Um, a talent contest, or special show?" James suggested.

"How about a ball with a dance competition of some sort? Everyone who wants to participate can, and then afterwards, there's a ball where the winning couple lead." Jenny Brooks, a Hufflepuff fifth-year, mused aloud.

"That sounds good." Lily grinned. "Any objections?"

No one had any. Even the purebloods would appreciate it, since dancing was an important part of growing up – they had to be capable of dancing in balls and suchlike.

"But the Head Boy and Head Girl would have to open up the competition. If they won't dance, no one else will." Severus Snape remarked, shooting a smirk at the two Heads.

Lily shot him a poisonous look.

James scowled. Then he smoothed his features flawlessly. "If that is the consensus, we must obey. But don't blame me when Lily manages to shoot the competition out of the water. You'll regret it then."

Lily shot James a surprised and warning look. How the hell did he know that she'd been dancing since she was a child?

"If that's everything? Okay, meeting adjourned. We'll work out who's to do what next week." James told them.

When everyone left, Lily shot a confused look at him. "Why did you agree to that? For all you know, I've never danced in my life!"

"Lily, give me some credit. I know that you've been dancing since you were small. Pia and Ellen were discussing it one time. I've been dancing since I was young as well, my parents are respected Aurors, and so I have to know how to dance at the Ministry balls. Since we can both dance, I'm sure we can come up with something to open the competition. Plus, we can prove we can work together. Besides, would back out on something Snape's practically daring you to do? The way he said it, he made it sound like neither of us had any chance of dancing."

Lily nodded. "Okay. Now what?"

"Now, we go and finish homework and get some sleep. We can meet Dumbledore tomorrow evening." James smiled. "Okay?"

"Yes. And James?" He turned from the door to look at her. "Thanks."

He smiled. "You too, Lils." He left.

Lily felt a clench in her stomach. She looked around, surprised and tried to ignore the reason her pulse was pounding in her neck, her heart fluttering.

No, she couldn't be. She couldn't _like_ James Potter.

But she did.

Ginny smirked as she saw the shell-shocked face of Lily Evans leave the Prefects' Room. She knew that look oh so well.

She nudged Harry.

"What?"

She pointed to Lily, and whispered, "Someone's falling in love."

"She is? With James? Thank goodness." Harry sighed.

"All I can say now is, let the fun begin." Ginny grinned.

"Ginny, you are not going to play matchmaker. How do we know that that won't change the timeline?"

"How do we know it will?" Ginny asked, her voice fierce.

Harry stopped, staring at her, she had a point...

There was a crash up ahead, and Peeves' voice cackled with glee.

Harry sighed.

"'Double, double, toil and trouble,

Fire burn and cauldron bubble.'" He recited.

"What was that?"

"Exactly what happens whenever we're around."

The cauldron was split into two separate ones. As one slowly simmered, the other was reaching boiling point...

A/N: I think Harry and Ginny are going to explode unless I let them get some soon. Maybe the next chapter. Or Chapter 10, that could work...

Thank you to everyone who reviewed! You are all awesome, wonderful people and I love you all!

I'm updating 'Curses, Prophecies and the Elemental Guardians' as well, but it's a short, flimsy chapter, since I have serious writer's block at the moment. And 'Connections: Twist of Fate', I hope you enjoy them if you read them.

Anyway, thank you all, you lovely people. Please review!

Lol, Tanydwr


	9. Chapter 9: Explosion

New chapter! Yes, you finally see what Ginny's curse is. Personally, I think its a little rushed, but tell me what you think! The story was starting to drag a little, so I hope this livens it up!

Here it is!

**Chapter 9: Explosion**

Clash!

Clang!

Slash!

Thud!

"Oww!"

"Sorry about that, Gin." Harry told his friend, holding his left arm out to pull her up, his sword in the other.

Ginny grabbed it and before he could move...

THUD!

"Ach, that was _hard_, Ginny!"

"Suck it up, Blade. What did you expect?"

"To help you up and have you fall into my arms and then start kissing me." Harry replied jokingly.

But as he said it, the electricity built up...

Swiftly standing, he sucked in a deep breath of air. It was littered with scents and aromas. He breathed in Ginny's unique scent, one of power, vanilla, strawberry and the coppery-iron tang of blood. He'd never understood why she had blood in her scent, but his wonderings had come to nothing.

Ginny looked at him breathing heavily. As she stood, she did the same. Yes, she could sense him. Blood, from where she didn't know. She assumed it was a remnant from the Dark Curses he had been hit with, like the Cruciatus. Mint and freshness. He always seemed to smell clean. And metal. The scent of well-worked metal that was one of the reasons she always called him Blade. His talent with the edged weapons was another.

"Again?" She asked.

"Hand-to-hand, no weapons. No armour. Winner has to pin their opponent to the floor." Harry informed her.

She nodded and gave a dangerous smile. Quickly, they both removed the leather clothes and jerkins they used while sword fighting. Ginny revealed her curvaceous form, clad in tight, white, cropped leggings and a similarly tight white top – cropped, sleeveless, with a zip at the front as part of the neckline. Harry revealed black sports trousers and no shirt. It occurred to Ginny that he almost never seemed to wear one for hand-to-hand combat.

"Ready?" Harry asked her.

She grinned ferally.

He smirked back.

They began circling.

The two time-travellers were skilled and dangerous fighters. They examined each carefully, searching for telltale signs and muscle movements that would betray their plans. All but the best showed them. Unfortunately, these two were the best.

Ginny flipped sharply, spinning to throw a backwards roundhouse into Harry's chin. He dodged the kick, letting her momentum carry her round. As she tried to orientate herself, he shot a kick into her back.

She turned and scowled at him.

The kicks and blow rained on each other for the next few minutes, neither giving the other a budge. Until...

"Shit!" Ginny exclaimed, tucking herself up and rolling across the floor. She flipped her head up to glance at her opponent. He smirked at her.

Then she was struck by a thought. A wicked, evil and quite probably illegal (in such matches) thought. Slowly, she got up, her back to Harry. Looking down, she smirked and unzipped her top just a little further than what was 'regulation'. Then, she slowly pulled the clip out of her hair.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked.

"Just feel like it." She told him, and turned.

Harry was floored as she came towards him. All those pent-up feelings were being brought forth again. She was displaying cleavage she shouldn't and with her hair down it was making his knees weak. And then he realised that that was just what she wanted.

She forward flipped and had thrown him to the ground in the seconds before he regained himself. She sat on his stomach, making sure he could not get up.

A wicked grin found its way onto her lips. "Just where I want you."

"That was evil, Ginny." Harry replied.

"All's fair in love and war." She contested.

He frowned, wondering where she had heard that Muggle phrase.

"All right, get off me." Harry told her.

"And suppose I don't want to?"

"What?"

This was too much for Harry. If the young woman didn't remove herself from on top of him soon, there was going to be a serious problem.

And it seemed she didn't care.

"I've got you exactly where I want you, Harry. Do you really think I'm going to get off now?" Ginny asked him. She was now leaning closer, and Harry was getting hotter and hotter as he felt her torso nearing his bare one.

"Gin..."

And then it happened.

The first cauldron exploded.

Unable to control the feelings he had been hiding for so long and the lust that the Vampire was feeding him as the full moon came closer, Harry seized the young woman's lips with his.

Ginny didn't really mind. In fact, she kissed back with the same ferocity and fervour that he did. He twisted and she found herself trapped under him as his tongue found it's way into her mouth, soothing and massaging her own. She buried her hands in his hair as she pulled him close, his body pressed against hers. Harry's hands were under her, one on the bare part of her back, the other in her hair.

The kiss seemed to last a lifetime. And then they broke apart, Harry staggering back, stunned at what he had just done.

"Ginny..."

She was breathing heavily, her chest rising and falling quickly. Her hair was dishevelled and her lips swollen. But to Harry she seemed more beautiful than ever.

"Merlin, Harry..." Ginny gasped. "Where did you learn to do that?"

"I'm sorr – what?" Harry registered what she had said with bewilderment.

"I mean that was the most amazing kiss I've ever had." She replied.

Harry's face broke into a grin. "I take it you're not mad then?"

"Mad? Why would I be?" Ginny asked.

"Well, the kiss..."

"I've been wanting that for _years_."

"Oh. Good." Harry stated. For a moment it looked like he would do it again. Then he stood up and saw the time. "Damn!"

"What – what is it?"

"Nearly sunset. Gin, I've gotta go." Harry told her.

'_Stupid curse,'_ he thought, glowering inside.

She nodded, sighing. "Me too. Meeting..."

Harry left the room and secluded himself in the Moonlight Room as he called it.

Ginny went to meet Dumbledore, and he led her to an abandoned Astronomy tower where she couldn't harm anyone.

"Why you don't share, I don't know..." Dumbledore frowned.

"What?" Ginny asked.

It occurred to Dumbledore that Ginny and Harry did not know of one another's conditions. He evaded the question.

"Nothing, nothing. Be careful, Ginevra. Blood will be supplied."

She didn't even have chance to ask how he knew she needed the blood before the door was magically locked.

She sat alone, trying to figure out what it was that had made that one kiss with Harry so amazing. It had been unbelievable. She had been aching for it for so long, more when the change was approaching. But it hadn't been that that had made her so receptive to him. That released some of the lust, but... It was as though they were meant for each other. Like he completed her. Satisfied every part...

And as Ginny changed, she realised something.

"Harry... He satisfied the vampire completely..."

Meaning that tonight, Harry was changing into a Moonlight Vampire. Just as she was.

Earlier that day, James had visited Remus in the hospital wing.

"Hey, Moony. How you feeling?" James asked.

"Tired. What do you expect?" Remus asked, raising a brow.

The Head Boy shrugged. "I dunno. Sorry, stupid question. I got your assignments. I left them on your desk, ready for you to complete tomorrow."

"Thanks." Remus grinned. "Any news on Operation Teacher Creature?"

The name was what they had given trying to work out what was so strange about the two DADA teachers.

James shrugged. "They cancelled tonight's training session. If I didn't know better, I'd say they know about us being Animagi. But the two of them have been eyeing each other up all day like a wolf eyes a slab of meat. It's a little disturbing."

Remus grinned. "Anything else?"

"They mentioned serious training, something about creatures. Didn't hear much. You got anything on Miss Westley's scent yet?"

"Yes, she's got the magic all right. Vanilla and strawberry seem to be her own scent. And then blood, again. Whatever's up with the blood it's affecting them both. And Professor Potter's got something else. Smells like tempered steel, a metallic scent. Like a sword or dagger. It's strange."

"Maybe it's the sign of a warrior. He does seem to favour swords and stuff, I've seen him using them. It's like he was born with them in his hands."

"Source of the nickname Blade perhaps?" Remus suggested.

"Even when you're ill, you're full of good ideas, Moony." James grinned. "That'll be it."

"Anything else?" Remus asked.

"Nah. I'd best get going. Lily wants to talk about Hallowe'en before dinner. I'll see you later." James grinned.

Remus nodded. "Don't let Lily bully you."

"Now, why would I do that?"

"Because you're in love with her. We all know it, Prongs. No matter how much you deny it. That fifth-year crush has changed." Remus told him.

James reddened. "I don't know what you're talking about, Remus."

Remus sighed. "You do. No matter how much you deny it, you do."

Ginny woke up in the tower room, cold and exhausted. She shivered as she realised she wore nothing. There were marks all over her body where the vampire had brought razor-sharp nails across the skin in an attempt to alleviate the lust. But it was strange, it wasn't as bad as usual. Had that one kiss with Harry made so much difference?

And then she remembered. Harry. The kiss. And the knowledge that he had the same affliction. One problem. How was she to reveal her secret to him? Would he feel betrayed that she hadn't told him? Then again, he hadn't told her and she didn't feel betrayed. In fact, she felt relieved. Her curse didn't matter. It didn't stand in the way.

A knock on the door signalled her. Silently, she pulled on the rags and thanked God it was a Saturday.

"Miss Westley?" A female voice asked.

Thank goodness. Madam Pomfrey.

"Yes?" Ginny croaked.

The door opened. Madam Pomfrey bustled. "Oh dear me, you're worse than..." She stopped.

"Don't worry, I figured it out. Harry's a Moonlight Vampire too, isn't he?"

Madam Pomfrey nodded. "Yes. You seem to be worse than him. Hospital Wing for you."

"NO! No, he doesn't know. My... I'll go to my room, pretend I'm sleeping in while the potions heal me. He won't be surprised. I'm not exactly known for being a lark." Ginny gave a lopsided grin.

The matron nodded. "Very well. Come along then. Here's a fresh robe."

Ginny gratefully changed into the fresh, closed white robe.

"Okay, now I'm ready."

"He was in the hospital wing again." Remus told James and Sirius after Professor Potter had left.

"Potter?" James asked, then paused. "Do you know how weird it is to ask that?"

Remus grinned.

"What was the reason this time?" Sirius asked.

"Apparently training got too rough and he strained something. He mentioned something about being in the forest last night as well." Remus told them and stretched. "Agh, two full moons in one month, not my idea of fun."

"When's the next one?"

"Night before Hallowe'en." Remus told him. "That's two full moons Potter's been in here for. If something happens next time, there's no way its coincidence. He's not a werewolf. That leaves other full moon afflictions, or some sort of family curse or something. I know there are curses that can be cast on a family that affect only specific members. Or else he has some need to get beaten up every full moon."

"Cuts again?"

"Yep. He was limping a little, stretched calf muscle apparently. The cuts were clean, but not exactly straight. Some looked like nail marks."

"Nail marks?" Sirius asked, raising a brow. "You sure it was _training_ that got too rough?"

"Sirius!" Remus looked scandalised, while James looked partially amused and partially disgusted.

"They're teachers."

"Young teachers. And hot teachers, Miss Westley I can tell, and from what I've heard from the girls, Potter is too. Actually, there seems to be a lot of comments about Potters in this school." He smirked at James.

The Marauder in question rolled his eyes.

"We've got Potions essays to finish, Sirius. Let's go." James told him.

"Why?"

"Because I said so. See you later, Moony."

Remus nodded, grinning. Sirius always knew how to get under James' skin when he wanted to.

He sighed, and pulled out his own potions essay until Madam Pomfrey released him later that day.

"Ginny?" Harry knocked on her door just before lunch.

There was no reply. He knocked again. None. He turned the doorknob...

Just in time to see Ginny walk out of the bathroom wearing only a towel.

"Harry!"

"Sorry, sorry!" Harry turned around. "I didn't get an answer! I didn't mean... Damn! Sorry, Gin. I was going to ask if you were up. And if so, do you want to go to lunch, since it's nearly time."

"Is it that late? I didn't mean to sleep in so long. I just had a shower... Never mind. Gimme a minute, Harry, and I'll join you for lunch."

Harry nodded and walked out, carefully not looking at her.

Ginny couldn't help grinning. Selecting underwear and then an ankle-length wrap-around skirt and long-sleeved red shirt, she slid on heeled boots, leaving off a robe.

Shoving her hair into a haphazard bun, she slid her wand into a boot and opened her door.

"All done." She grinned at Harry, appreciating his toned form in black jeans and a tight, emerald, long-sleeved t-shirt.

He grinned back. "Sorry about that, but I have to say I liked what I saw."

Ginny arched a brow. "Play your cards right, Mr Potter, and you might get to see more."

"In which case, I best ask first." Harry looked her. "Will you go out with me, Gin?"

She smirked. "Ah, what wonderful words to hear. Yes, Harry."

"Oh good." He replied, and swept her up into a passionate, yet tender kiss.

I love all my reviewers! You're brilliant and so nice to me! I'd reply to you all, but I get so many each chapter, it'd take to long! If you really want a reply, you'll have to e-mail me!

And by the way, did I mention I did really well in my GCSEs? All As and A-stars! How cool is that? (I think it's cool. After all, it's the smart people who will be running the country in fifteen years time. In theory anyway...)

Hope that was good enough for you all!

Lol, Tanydwr


	10. Chapter 10: Mate

Ah! Finally! Sorry about the wait. Mum's birthday last weekend, and I didn't inspired, so that's the excuse... er... explanation.

But I think this chapter's worth it. However, just so you have a warning, this pushes the rating to the limit at one point. You'll be able to guess when. But it's kind of important to the plot (and I've wanted to write it for ages). So I hope you enjoy!

**Chapter 10: Mate**

Before they knew it, Hallowe'en was nearly upon them. Not many seemed to have noticed Harry and Ginny's progressing relationship, which was handy. In fact, people seemed too worried about their own relationships to notice the one going on with the teachers.

The ball had been decided as masquerade. Old-fashioned had been the theme for decoration, music and costume, and already people seemed to be preparing. Harry was getting quite annoyed in lessons by the excess of giggling from the girls and gossip about dates, costumes and make-up or charms. He had more than once threatened them with detention should they continue. This had scored him more points with the boys, because they were getting equally of (and nervous about) the giggling.

Harry and Ginny were chaperones. A number of the teachers had opted out, but the Headmaster, Heads of Houses, and the DADA teachers were chaperoning. Harry and Ginny had been chosen because they were young and therefore more likely to temper the strictness of McGonagall (for example). Harry and Ginny had also as good as volunteered anyway, so the teachers who were not looking forward to dealing with raging hormones had opted out.

The idea was good. The ball began at half-past six with a 'traditional' feast. At half-past seven, the tables and food disappeared and the dancing began. At ten o'clock, all third-years and under had to leave to go to bed. The rest of the school left at midnight. The music was going to be played by a popular band, but with a variety of old-fashioned songs mixed in with one or two modern ones. The students had been advised to look at some old-fashioned dances, as they may well be played and groups dance the correct one.

It had taken James considerable courage to ask Lily to the dance. However, he had been polite, respectful and explained that he wished to go as friends and fellow Heads, to promote unity within the school. After all, if they – with their famous feud – could unite, surely others could as well. Lily agreed, but was confused when she felt disappointed at the fact that they were going as 'just friends'.

Lily and James were patrolling the corridors when they heard music. And voices. Singing.

A male voice sang: _"Our lives will change when tomorrow comes."_

Then a female voice. _"Tonight our hearts drown the distant drums."_

James and Lily edged closer, wondering at the owners of two very good voices.

Male: _"And we have music, alright,_

_Tearing the night."_

Both: _"A song_

_Played on a solo saxophone._

_A crazy sound."_

Then the female: _"A lonely sound."_

Both: _"A cry that tells us_

_Love goes on and on._

_Played on a solo saxophone._

_It's telling me_

_To hold you tight_

_And dance_

_Like it's the last night_

_Of the world."_

"Merlin, they're amazing!" Lily whispered. "I love this song."

Those words alone proved that it was a Muggle song to James.

The male voice took over. _"On the other side of the Earth_

_There's a place where life still has worth._

_I will take you."_

"_I'll go with you."_ The woman promised.

The man sang dramatically. _"You won't believe all the things you'll see._

_I know 'cause you'll see them all with me."_

Two loving voices sang. _"If we're together that's when_

_We'll hear it again..._

_A song_

_Played on a solo saxophone._

_A crazy sound._

_A lonely sound._

_A cry that tells us_

_Love goes on and on._

_Played on a solo saxophone._

_It's telling me_

_To hold you tight_

_And dance_

_Like it's the last night_

_Of the world._"

Plaintively the woman sang: _"Dreams_

_Were all I ever knew."_

Promisingly the male told her: _"Dreams_

_You won't need when I'm through."_

And together their voices rose. _"Anywhere we may be_

_I will sing with you._

_Our song._

_Played on a solo saxophone._

_So stay with me_

_And hold me tight_

_And dance _

_Like it's the last night_

_Of the world."_

By this point Lily and James had identified where the voices came from. The Defence classroom. They peered inside cautiously.

James gasped as they saw Professor Potter and Miss Westley in the room, bathed in the light of the nearly full moon. She was leaning back on the desk from the front, as the professor's hands surrounded her waist loosely.

"I never knew you had such a good voice." Ginny murmured. It was clear neither of them realised they had eavesdroppers.

"A hidden talent." Harry responded. "I have many."

"Oh? Which talents remain hidden?" Ginny asked.

"Here? Well, the dancing, singing, Quidditch seeking, spell-mastering... You know that no one else here is capable of mastering the Truth Charm but me? They have to use Veritiserum every time! Or other truth potions." He looked down at her softly. "Any talents you know of?"

"Well, you do have a certain habit of _always_ getting into trouble. And somehow getting yourself out of it as well. You managed to put up with Ron and Hermione's arguments every other day..."

"Merlin knows how those two got together." Harry joked.

"Probably the same way our lovely Head Boy and Girl will. The arguments cover up the fact that they fancy each other. Ron got at Mione for attention, James pranks Lily for the same." Ginny smirked.

"At least he's deflated his head now. On the other hand, I have a true version of the problems between him and Snape. Like Snape knows way too much about the Dark Arts, even though Dark Arts is a completely incorrect terms for most of them..."

"Harry, love? You're ranting." Ginny told him, placing her hand over his mouth.

"Sorry." He mumbled. She removed her hand. "It's just... some of those so-called Dark Arts can be used for perfectly legitimate reasons too. And a supposedly light spell can be just as deadly as Avada Kedavra."

"Such as?"

"Levitation. You levitate someone out of a high window, they fall to their death. Not only that, but the death is far more painful and lengthened because they know it's coming. Or you Summon someone's heart strongly enough and it kills them." Harry explained.

Ginny nodded. "Yes, but others..."

"Evil Arts would be a more appropriate term. I can't imagine a good use for a Body-Ablaze Curse, can you?"

"No." Ginny looked a little put out.

"Sorry, I've gone off topic. What were we talking about?"

"Snape and James."

"Oh yes. Well, turns out Snape's been doing some rather awful things to the younger years, along with the rest of his group. God, at least I don't have to teach Lucius."

"So he's not as bad as you thought?" Ginny teased.

"He had legitimate reasons behind his actions. He just hates him anyway. Besides, wouldn't you want to protect the kids you found?" Harry asked.

"Yes. So, anything else?"

"How on Earth did Ron manage to get Mione pregnant?" Harry wondered.

"Well, Harry, you see, when a man and a woman love each other..."

"Oh, shut up, you. I know _that_. I'm just... surprised. Mione seemed like the type to remember protection."

"Oh well, they were caught up in the moments, celebration..."

"All six of your brothers were caught up, even Perce, and that surprised me!" Harry laughed.

Ginny looked at him suddenly, her eyes raking over his face, a predatory glint in her eye.

"What?" Harry asked.

"Your laugh. God, it's been heard precious little in the last few years."

"Well, it was heard last year, but you were in school." He grinned at her. "Now I haven't got that responsibility..."

"What if he finds out, Harry? What if he discovers you're here?"

"He can't. Besides, he doesn't even know I exist. He's more concerned about recruiting and killing. Of course, it's only a matter of time until he discovers the Gryffindor line..."

"_What_?" Ginny gasped.

"This year, Gin. That's when he finds out." Harry explained. "And then he searches for a spy, one of his becomes our own..."

"Harry, if you knew this would happen... Why did you come? What if you change things?" Ginny demanded.

"I don't think I do. There's a reason I was selected, Ginny. There's a reason you were allowed to follow. There's a reason we are here, now. If only to prevent the half-blood bastard from killing one person."

"But Harry..."

"Enough, what if there are prying ears? Besides, I believe there's another hidden talent you ought to remember." His voice had changed, becoming seductive, dangerous.

"Oh, what is that?" She changed too, she put her head to one side coquettishly.

"Well, I think it went something like this." He told her.

His hands tightened around her waist. He leaned his head in and caught her lips with his own, tenderly massaging them in a sweet kiss. She kissed back, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him closer. He slipped a hand up to hold her head as he deepened the kiss, fire and passion flaring up. She responded happily, hungrily, devouring his lips. As his tongue slipped into her mouth, she welcomed it, moaning ever so lightly as she felt the lust and need intensify.

James and Lily stared, looked at each other, and then swiftly and silently closed the door and headed down the corridor at a quiet run.

When they were far enough away, they stopped, breathing quickly.

"What on Earth...?" Lily began, shocked.

"I could have coped without seeing that." James winced.

Lily laughed, but then her eyes narrowed. "What did he mean about Snape doing something to kids? And you protecting them?"

"Bullying. Severely. Snape does it, but the rest of his group are just as bad, if not worse." James explained. "I just hope they don't progress any further than they already have, because then it could mean a sentence in Azkaban."

"_What_?" Lily hissed. "It's that bad?"

James nodded. "I know you think we did it just to hurt him or them. Part of it was hate, that's what started it. But by fourth-year, they started on first-years, and it began to get serious thereon. It's horrible, what some of them will do. We may get a reputation as goofs and idiots, but every one of the younger years, and some older years, especially Muggle-borns, know that we will help them."

Lily nodded, still shocked by it. "You're a good person, James."

"So are you."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"There's a what? A what in the where?" Ginny asked, semi-incoherently the morning of the full moon and the day before Hallowe'en.

"We believe it is a Lanydadd." Dumbledore answered. "How a Welsh demon got to Scotland I don't know. In the Forbidden Forest. Too close to the school to be safe. I thought you would be the best for the job."

Harry groaned. "I _hate_ those things! The blood doesn't come out, no matter _what_ you do!"

"What? You've met one?"

"Several. Simple enough to handle. Cancel our classes for the rest of today. Tell them to do some research on the significance of Hallowe'en to Dark Spells and Creatures and the magical significance of the day to the Light." Harry ordered. "C'mon, Gin. Sooner we get started, the sooner we get back."

'_And we'd better get back in time,'_ Harry thought.

Ginny nodded. "Old clothes then?"

"Definitely. No robes, too easily caught. Just grab trousers and a shirt, with a warm jacket, it's nippy. Make sure you've got your weapons." Harry commanded

"Sir, yes, sir!" Ginny saluted him, military-style, and marched out.

"Don't tell anyone where we are. Just say we're on business." Harry advised Dumbledore, before disappearing himself.

"Merlin help you both." Dumbledore sighed, praying that they would be safe.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Shit!" Ginny swore as the Lanydadd's long claws raked through her skin.

"Ginny, keep down!" Harry yelled.

Harry's sword snaked out. The demon had taken them by surprise. They had been tracking it, when suddenly the scent went cold. The demon had taken to the trees, and they could not follow. They had tried in vain to find it. It found them, imprisoning them against a small cliff within the forest. The light was dying, and the temperature was dropping.

'_Please, finish this soon!'_ Harry begged anyone who was listening. _'If I transform while Ginny is here...'_ And yet, that had never seemed like a problem. She satisfied every part of him. Including the... Vampire? How was that possible? He suddenly realised that she had sated his lust more easily than anything. But surely she couldn't be... He saw her dodge the Lanydadd and throw it off. _'She's a Moonlight Vampire. Like me.'_ With a sudden burst of strength, Harry whipped round and caught the horn on the demon's head. With a swift blow, he sliced it off. Instantly, the Lanydadd howled, and melted into water.

Harry and Ginny were breathing heavily. Harry gasped as he saw the blood across Ginny's stomach.

"Gin, are you okay?" He asked.

"I... I think so." She replied, wincing.

"Night soon." Harry gasped. We'll never get back in time."

"Wh-what?"

"You're one, aren't you, Gin?"

"One what?"

"Struck by the Lust Curse."

"Harry! How did you...?" Ginny's eyes widened. She'd been trying to work out how to tell him for weeks.

"Me too. And I realised you sated the Vampire as well as me." Harry explained. "Gin, we're in the middle of the Forest. We'll never make it before moonrise. And then we'll be too close to the school. What if we hurt someone?" Harry asked.

"We can't. We stay here." Ginny told him.

"And we hurt each other?" Harry raised a brow.

"The Vampire..."

But she couldn't say anything further. The sun had set. Automatically, they removed their weapons, sending them back to the school with wandless Banishing Charms. They couldn't risk the vampires taking control of them. And before long, the moon rose.

"Ginny..." Harry moaned.

"Harry..." Ginny murmured.

The moonlight hit them.

They fell to the ground. Pulling in deep breaths, they changed. Lust lit in their eyes, burning red. Their canines elongated, their teeth sharpened. Nails became razor-like and they no longer felt the cold of the air.

(A/N: They'll be referred to as Harry and Ginny, but it's the vampire, not them, as such. Okay?)

The Vampire gasped in air. He was free! Finally, after so long! He looked around him. There was the scent of a recently dead Lanydadd. Good. Those creatures were deadly. And then his eyes fell on something more beautiful than he could imagine.

The Vampire drew in breath. Her chest heaved as she felt the fresh, free air around her. Finally! She scanned the area. A dead demon, nothing to her. But then, the scent! So intoxicating! And then she saw him. A male. Hers.

The Vampires approached each other. They stared at one another for a moment. And then she struck at him, her nail drawing blood across his cheek. He recognised the challenge, the suggestion. It was clear that she was his life-mate, in both forms. This form was much freer, though. He struck back, she caught it on her arm. And so began the fight between them...

Harry snarled as her nails raked at his shirt. His jacket lay on the floor, forgotten. He punched her in the face, taking the chance to yank off her own jacket. She growled, and kicked his legs from under him, then pounced on him.

The nails and lust made short work of their clothes and shoes, reduced to rags and strips of leather.

Ginny stared down at him, before seizing his mouth with hers, her tongue bleeding against his sharp teeth. She tasted his blood as his own bled in her mouth. It was invigorating, enthralling. She needed him. Desperately.

Punching him again and stimulating his body beneath her, she broke the kiss and marked him as hers. Fixing her mouth on his chest, around one nipple, she bit. Her teeth penetrated skin finally, and she felt the sweet blood of life flow into her mouth, into her body. She felt him shudder and moan in exhilaration. When she had finished, she grabbed his head and thrust it to her breast, where he returned the favour. She felt herself quake and let out a scream of delight. Her hands fell as he drank, her blood leaving her body. His hands gripped her waist, nails biting deep into her flesh.

When he ceased, he pushed her back and then pressed her to him, the blood of the wounds mixing and cementing the blood bond.

And then she grabbed him and cemented the sexual bond.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Marauders were roaming the Forbidden Forest this full moon. Having heard nothing of the Lanydadd, they had no reason to avoid it. While it took trouble to keep Moony in line, they still enjoyed each jaunt. This time they ventured deep into the forest. And came upon a shocking sight.

A man and woman. They were... having intimate relations, to put politely (of course, Sirius would just say they were shagging later, but that's Sirius, isn't it?).

'_Merlin, what are they doing?'_ James thought.

'_I didn't know you could do that!'_ Sirius looked shocked.

'_Cool!'_ Peter thought. (A/N: Pervert! Did I mention I despise Peter?)

'_Blood! Blood!'_ Moony's senses took control. They smelt enough like human to set the senses on hyperdrive. He pounced.

The couple broke away. The Marauders shrank back as they recognised the signs of the Moonlight Vampire. Blood covered their bodies, bites on their chests.

'_They mated!'_ James gasped.

Their eyes shone with the red fire of lust, their elongated canines glistened with fresh blood and their nails were stained with it.

The male snarled at the werewolf. "Cease, I command thee!" Moonlight Vampires could speak and think, but rarely used it. They were superior to werewolves as demons because they kept those facilities. Werewolves were forced to obey them. Few knew that.

Moony growled.

"Cease! Would care for us to eat your friends? We're quite hungry and it would... _heighten_ the experience." The female snarled.

Moony growled again, but backed to the Marauders to protect them.

"Leave, if you wish to live." The male ordered.

"Animal blood is so foul, we wouldn't want to drink it, but we can force ourselves. We're so hungry..."

The werewolf and Animagi scattered.

But something got at James. He knew who the Moonlight Vampires _were_.

XXXXXXXXXXX

That morning, the word got out that Professor Potter and Miss Westley were missing in the Forbidden Forest.

Dumbledore was worried. He knew what they were, and what that could cause... Swiftly, he went to his office, and checked a map of the Forbidden Forest. Ah, that's where they were

"Professors Videl and Kettleburn, would you come with me please? I have located our wayward DADA teachers." Dumbledore told them. "We won't be long. Just until the end of your first classes at the most." He then called a house-elf and handed him a note addressed to Madam Pomfrey.

"My God, what were they doing here?" Videl asked aghast as she saw the two naked forms, covered in blood.

"Are they alive?" Dumbledore asked.

Kettleburn verified their pulses. "Yes, they are. But... Oh Merlin! Dumbledore, did you know about this?"

"What?"

"They're Moonlight Vampires. I can see their marks. They're life-mates. Most likely in both forms from the way we've seen the two of them act." Kettleburn informed him.

"Yes, I knew. They were cursed in the same battle against Voldemort. I sent them after a Lanydadd yesterday morning. I was under the impression they'd be back in time for them to be locked in their rooms. It seems not. They remained here so they were far enough away from the school to focus their attention on each other." Dumbledore realised.

There was sudden sound.

Dumbledore and the others whipped round.

A centaur with a white palomino body and blond hair faced them.

"Going to curse me, Professor?"

"Firenze. Can't be too careful in this situation."

"Yes. These are the two. Yes. The stars read of their coming. They will protect the line."

"What line?"

"Mars lies bright as Scorpio rises. They join and protect. Hallowe'en marks a special day for them. His parents died, so will they die again."

"What?"

"Past and future are entwined as Evil's threat looms closer. He will find the Heirs he searches for, and when he does, their destruction will mean his survival. The stag shall bear a lion, marked by a celestial sign."

"What are you saying?"

"Do not alienate them. These two are your only hope." The centaur explained cryptically and galloped away.

Dumbledore sighed. "Conjure stretchers and blankets. We'll say they had a stronger fight with a Lanydadd than we thought. It's true, to an extent."

XXXXXXXXXXX

Harry awoke in the Hospital Wing. He blinked, and then turned, seeing Ginny in the bed beside him.

"Gin!" Harry gasped.

Ginny shot up, awake, clutching the sheet to her naked body.

"Harry!"

"We must've lost more blood than expected." Harry told her. "And we..."

"Mated." She murmured, then gave him a feral smile. "I guess I definitely got you in the end, Mr Potter."

"That you did, Miss Weas – Westley." Harry grinned, correcting his slip.

"So," Ginny mused, "think we could get away with doing it in the hospital wing?"

XXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: The end of the chapter! So, what do you think? There's evilness in there. I hope the transformation and mating didn't offend anyone, but it was necessary.

I'm back at school now, finally. Going alright so far. I actually managed to write my first piece of coursework already. Tonight. Isn't that cool? I like to keep on top of things.

To my reviewers... There's so many of you! I'm overwhelmed! I broke three hundred with the last chapter! I have about three hundred and thirty now! It's amazing! So thank you. I'm so happy you like it so much!

Please continue to review. Oh, and would someone please e-mail me and explain how a Yahoo!Group works? Because I get invitations, but I've no idea how to use 'em.

Thank you!

Lol, Tanydwr


	11. Chapter 11: Preparations

Okay, so I guess you're going to ask, what's the excuse this time? Well, it's schoolwork – I have it every night, and I've already had to do three pieces of coursework in rough. Also, I was babysitting last weekend and I hadn't been inspired. Not really been inspired this time either, but I hope this is adequate. It's not really long enough, but there you go!

Transitional chapter following right where the last one left off. Nothing much happens, but I hope it's all right!

And thank you to everyone who has reviewed. You're all awesome!

**Chapter 11: Preparations**

Unfortunately for Ginny, seconds later, Madam Pomfrey appeared.

"You're awake! Good. You've both lost a lot of blood, take these potions." She thrust cups of Blood-Replenishing Potion at the two time-travellers.

Grimacing – they both knew the taste well by now – they gagged the disgusting mixture down.

"Ugh! Can't they do something for the taste?" Ginny complained.

"It is not my fault the two of you lost so much blood!" Madam Pomfrey snapped at them.

They winced, looking embarrassed. In truth, they should have recognised the signs earlier, but still...

"Will we be okay for the dance this evening?" Harry asked. "We've got to chaperone."

"You should be. I'll let you out later. With plenty of rest, you should be all right. Do nothing strenuous today." Madam Pomfrey responded. "That Lanydadd gave more of a beating than you expected?"

"Yeah. And then we got lost and attacked by something else. Left us for dead." Harry gave the lie. Madam Pomfrey knew about them, but he was all too aware that the werewolf in the next bed might hear something. Or wake up.

"You're both lucky to be alive. Here. I want you both to take these before you go to bed tonight." She handed each of them a small vial of inky-blue liquid. "Dreamless Sleep Potion. And I'd recommend a nap at some point as well."

"What's the time?" Harry asked.

"Just after ten." Madam Pomfrey explained. "Your lessons have been cancelled and work like that which you set yesterday has been set again."

"Hallowe'en significance to Dark and Light, wasn't it?" Harry mused.

"Something like that." Ginny sighed. Suddenly she became acutely aware of something. "Umm, do you have any clothes for us?"

Madam Pomfrey smirked, and flicked her wand. The curtains around the two beds snapped shut, and she handed them each a pair of pyjamas. As he opened the curtain between them, Harry couldn't help but appreciate the way the light cotton hung over Ginny's chest.

"Why, Professor, I do believe you're perving on your so sweet, innocent and young assistant!" Ginny gasped in a mock-scandalised tone.

"Why, Assistant, I do believe I am!" Harry responded, then looked at her seriously. "It's hard not to when you're so gorgeous."

Ginny blushed the famous Weasley blush.

Just then, they heard a moan. "Please! Someone make those curtains sound-proof! I don't want to wake up to hear professors flirting!"

Harry ripped open the curtain and glared at the young werewolf, who smirked.

"Mr Lupin, kindly keep your smart-arse comments to yourself." Harry informed him, climbing back into bed with a sigh.

Remus shrugged. "Hey, I'm not the one mentally scarring my students."

Harry grinned ferally. "You will some day."

"What?"

"Your marks in Defence Against the Dark Arts are only equalled by James Potter and Severus Snape. You would be perfectly capable of teaching the subject to others, as I know you do tutor some of the lower years."

Remus blushed and nodded.

Ginny sighed. "Harry, leave the poor lad alone. He's had a rough night."

Harry gave Remus a wink. "I can tell, he's as tetchy as you at that time of the month."

Ginny gasped, went red and began to explode with expletives about men who made 'time of the month' jokes.

Madam Pomfrey walked into the room, and looked scandalised as she heard the string of words pouring from the pretty young assistant's mouth. Remus was in awe, and Harry watched in amusement, counting how many things he'd heard escape from Ron's mouth as well.

Finally Ginny ran out of breath.

"Wow, I'm impressed. I'd only heard twenty of those from Ron. He certainly never threatened to castrate me with a wooden spoon without anaesthetic." Harry grinned at her.

Ginny gasped as she realised that he had done it on purpose. "You... You..."

"What? Monster? Beast? Ravishingly attractive DADA professor?" Harry offered.

"All of the above." Ginny smirked in a way that disturbed the young werewolf.

Harry smirked right back. "I thought so."

"If you don't mind, I intend to keep my patients' minds intact. Both of you, get to your rooms now! I'll deal with Mr Lupin without your help."

Harry and Ginny eagerly hopped off the beds, pocketing the vials of potion.

Remus grinned. "If you go outside like that, I'm sure the other students will appreciate it!" He called as they ran to the door.

Harry sighed, and lazily conjured some dressing gowns with a hand.

Remus watched in awe as his DADA teachers left the Hospital Wing.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Let's add something to the list. Wandless magic." Remus informed James, Sirius and Peter when they entered the Hospital Wing that lunch.

"What?"

"Professor Potter. Conjuring. Without a wand." Remus explained. And then grinned. "Also, Miss Westley has an extreme dislike of 'time of the month' jokes and a very filthy mouth and inventive collection of punishments. Also, they're either in love, or seriously in lust from the way they were flirting before."

"Love. They're mates." James answered.

Remus looked up sharply. "What?"

"Last night, in the Forbidden Forest." He said in a low voice. "You don't remember?"

"Only the presence of demons whom I had to obey at one point. Why?"

"Professor Potter and Miss Westley are Moonlight Vampires and mates."

XXXXXXXXXX

"James!" Lily gasped as she saw him that afternoon in the library. Their last lessons were free because of their professor's incapacitation.

He frowned and looked at her flushed face. "What's up?"

"I've just discovered something important." Lily explained, and then whispered in his ear. "Potter and Westley are Moonlight Vampires."

James' eyes widened. "What? How did you know that?"

"They've been noticed coming out of the Hospital Wing twice now on the morning after the full moon. They could barely keep their hands off each other in the couple of days running up to it. And neither have much of a toleration for anything that isn't meat in the run up to the full moon. Not to mention the gossip I got off our perverted portrait."

"_What_?" James gasped, wondering how that damned portrait with the merpeople could be of any use.

"They're incredible gossips and a similar portrait is in their bathroom. They had some interesting tales." A light blush rose in Lily's cheeks, suggesting she'd been told some things she would have rather not been.

"So you know?" James asked.

She nodded. "Did you?"

"I deduced it. I believe they've mated."

"Why?"

"I, er, have my sources." James responded, blushing a little as well. Having realised he had seen the two teachers naked, he felt very embarrassed about it.

"Oh?"

"I'm not going to tell. There's something weird about those two, Lils. I can feel it. And all that talk about lines and being sent back and the timeline... I'm half-believing Sirius' madcap theory."

"What? That we have a son?" Lily looked a little freaked.

"No, that they're time-travellers. In which case..." He gave a grin. "Maybe we can find out how the stocks are doing in the future."

"James!"

"What? I'm being practical. I could have said found out who was teaching, and setting up pranks triggered by their magical signature, couldn't I?" James responded.

Lily snorted.

"So, my fair flower, looking forward to the ball tonight?" James asked, changing the subject.

Lily gave a smile, surprising anyone who had heard – she always reacted violently to James' flowery names for her. "Yes, I believe I am, good sir knight." She grinned. "I think it'll be very good fun. The full moon was last night, so it'll still look good. Will Remus be able to come?" She lowered her voice for the last.

James looked at her surprised, then shook his head. "I should have known you'd have guessed Remus' secret as well. Yes, he's going to take a Strengthening Potion. It'd be too suspicious if he weren't there. He can't use too many Strengthening Potions lest he gets addicted, but he can use it this once."

Lily nodded, smiling. "That's good. I'm glad he can. He deserves some fun. He's so hard-working."

"Are you saying our pranks aren't fun and I'm not?" James demanded, mock-hurt.

"I meant normal fun. Besides, you have to work hard in different ways. Like Quidditch and Head Boy duties. Your schoolwork comes more naturally." Lily replied.

James nodded, and flipped over a page in the book he was reading.

_Hallowe'en can give incredible power to Dark Spells, due to the frailty of the veil between our world and the spiritual plain. The Evil Energies from Tartarus can be channelled to make a weak spell much more powerful._

He nodded thoughtfully. That would explain why there were so many attacks on days like Hallowe'en and the various Celtic sabbats, all of which had some magical significance for witches and wizards. Midsummer and Midwinter were two other examples, as were May Day, or Beltain, and the Spring and Autumnal Equinoxes.

He skipped ahead to see the significance for the Light spells and suchlike.

_On the other hand, Hallowe'en, the old Celtic New Year known as Samhain, also has many Light-aiding abilities as well. The most significant of which is the surging of power of young children, giving brief appearances of their adult strength. It also adds power to any protection given, particularly ancient spells, because of the power of rebirth and the Blessed Isle in the spiritual plain. Any spell, ancient or modern, fuelled by love, is increased in strength ten-fold because of this._

That was very interesting! James frowned. He wondered if he'd ever had magical surges at Hallowe'en to show his adult power. He knew his was not fully grown yet. As a Potter, he would get a particular mark telling him when he had reached magical maturity. Usually it happened about now.

"Hmm?" He asked, dragged back to Lily.

"Is that so very interesting?" She asked.

He nodded. "It is, actually. Have you done yours yet?"

"Some. Well, at least it's not like that blasted collection of all the spells we knew. Mine was so long!"

"Mine too." James grinned, smiling at her.

"What's the time?" Lily asked suddenly.

"Um, quarter past three. Why?"

"Ack! I need to get ready!" Lily gasped.

"What? Why so early?" James wanted to know.

"Do you have no idea about girls getting ready for balls?" Lily asked him sympathetically, as she rapidly packed her work and belongings away. "Just wait at the bottom of the stairs to the tower at twenty-past. Then you'll understand."

Frowning, the Head Boy watched the girl leave. "Mental." He murmured, bending over the book once more. "Absolutely mental."

XXXXXXXXXX

"I'm so tired." Ginny moaned.

"Then sleep."

"Can't."

"Why not?"

"Don't know."

Harry sighed, and pulled her into his room, surprising her a little.

"Harry, what...?"

"Nothing like that, Gin. Let's sleep, together in the bed." Harry told her.

Frowning, she climbed in bed with him and felt his arm slip around her shoulders.

"Close your eyes, and just sleep." Harry whispered into her ear, causing her to shudder delightedly.

But she closed her eyes, feeling his warm arm around her protectively. Instinctively, she snuggled into him, her side against him, a hand resting lightly on his chest. And as she slowly breathed, she fell into slumber.

Harry smiled down at her, before taking her excellent suggestion and allowing himself to do the same.

XXXXXXXXXX

Harry shot up in bed. He blinked rapidly, and then looked at the clock beside him. It was quarter-past four! He knew Ginny would be furious with sleeping so much, but shrugged it off.

"Ginny." He murmured.

She merely snuggled into him further in response.

"Fire." Harry tried again.

She moaned in her sleep and clutched him harder.

Steeling himself, Harry murmured, "Ickle Gin-Gin."

Instantly Ginny was up. "FRED! GEORGE! WHAT HAVE I SAID ABOUT COMING INTO MY ROOM?" She fumed before realising she was in bed with Harry. "Harry?"

"Sorry, but it's quarter past four and I figured you wanted to be ready in time for Hallowe'en." He explained.

"Shoot! Yes, I do! Crap, Harry, why didn't you wake me sooner?!"

"I only just woke up myself. Stay calm. All will be fine. I'll use the bathroom in my trunk."

"I knew there was a reason I loved you."

XXXXXXXXXX

And so in all parts of the castle, every girl was swiftly washing and dressing, making herself suitable for the Masquerade Ball that night.

And some boys were about to get some very big shocks.

Maybe I didn't treat you 

_  
Quite as good as I should have_

_  
Maybe I didn't love you _

_  
Quite as often as I could have_

_  
Little things I should have said and done_

_  
I just never took the time_

_  
You were always on my mind_

_  
You were always on my mind_

_  
Tell me, tell me that your sweet love hasn't died_

_Give me, give me one more chance _

_  
To keep you satisfied, satisfied_

_  
Maybe I didn't hold you_

_  
All those lonely, lonely times_

_  
And I guess I never told you_

_  
I'm so happy that you're mine_

_  
If I make you feel second best_

_  
Girl, I'm sorry I was blind_

_  
You were always on my mind_

_  
You were always on my mind_

_  
Tell me, tell me that your sweet love hasn't died_

_  
Give me, give me one more chance _

_  
To keep you satisfied, satisfied_

_  
Little things I should have said and done_

_I just never took the time_

_  
You were always on my mind_

_  
You are always on my mind_

_  
You are always on my mind_

The words floated through male heads as they waited anxiously for their counterparts to appear.

Yes, the girls were definitely on their minds at that moment.

XXXXXXXXXX

A/N: Well, I hope that's okay. I just wanted a song in there somewhere. Okay?

Well, please review and tell me what you think. Lots of flirting in it, yes I know.


	12. Chapter 12: Halloween

Okay, okay, okay! Enough shouting! It's here! 

I'm am really sorry. But well, I wasn't well. First week I had a bad cold. Last week I had headaches. Really swimmy ones where I couldn't concentrate on anything and had to miss school. That was not pleasant (catch up work!)! And here it is. I've done my best, though it could be better. I will write a better one. At some point. I was going to do a really fluffy chapter, but the plot bunnies attacked me! So, what do you think?

And the song in the last chapter was _You were always on my mind_, sung by Elvis himself. And it's only three weeks it took me to update, not three years!

Enjoy!

Chapter 12: Hallowe'en 

Harry slid his sword into the scabbard at his belt before looking in the mirror to survey his outfit. Yes, he had to admit, he rather did look the part of an old warrior. Leather breeches, boots and tunic were dark brown over a roughly spun shirt. A sword and dagger hung at his waist, a torque about his neck. His hair was spiked up, yet still messy. He did rather look the part. Most would say a Celtic warrior of latter days (as oppose to those who fought the Romans).

He waited for Ginny with baited breath, knowing only that she had carefully paired herself with him. He had no idea of what she would be wearing.

He twirled the gold and ruby Celtic ring on his right middle finger in nerves. He prayed no one recognised it. Or if they did... They equated it with the costume.

Sighing, he walked over to the fireplace and leaned on the mantelpiece, rapping his fingers on the top to the tune of _Bohemian Rhapsody_.

He decided that his office was probably not the best place to wait in that it had far too many reasons for him getting annoyed, but that wasn't the point. The stairs came down into here, and Ginny would appear from them any second...

'_Damn,'_ he thought. _'When she gets down here, I'll kill her!'_

XXXXXXXXXX

James Potter waited in the Common Room impatiently. Why had Lily insisted on getting ready with her friends?

He tapped on the windowsill nervously, absent-mindedly beating out the tune of one of the Muggle songs he liked, _Great Balls of Fire_. When was she going to get here?

Sirius looked over at his friend, amused.

"I thought you were just going as friends?" Sirius commented while waiting for his own date, Mary McKinnon, who had been rejecting Sirius for several years, but changed her mind this time.

"So? That doesn't mean I'm going to wait perfectly patiently. The time better be worth it." James groaned and ran a hand through his hair before remembering he had grown it several inches longer as part of his costume as Godric Gryffindor. He'd even lost his glasses for it, claiming to use a charm to temporarily mend it. Truth was that Potters usually grew out of the need for glasses when they hit magical maturity.

James felt a burning on his right shoulder blade. Either he was experiencing a power surge or... A tingle swept through his body, assuring him of the truth. He'd just hit magical maturity. With a private grin, he turned back to the steps.

James looked almost lazily elegant in his costume. Brown old-fashioned leather breeches, brown leather boots, a cream shirt with a nearly knee-length scarlet tunic with a hood, a gold lion on the chest. A brown leather belt went around his waist, where his sword (a family heirloom) and wand hung. A gold and ruby ring settled on his right ring finger, a gift from his father when he hit seventeen. It was another heirloom.

"When is she going to get here?" He moaned.

Sirius laughed, looking very much the Adonis in old-style Greek robes, a mask covering his eyes as one covered James'.

XXXXXXXXXX

A tiny movement alerted Harry to a presence at the top of the stairs. He turned to look... And what he saw sent his blood soaring through his vessels.

Ginny Weasley was resplendent in an old-fashioned dress. It was a simple style, tight on top with a fuller, longer skirt (long enough to train behind her as she walked). The sleeves flared dramatically at the wrist, and the neckline dipped into a low V, both revealing a thin cream shift beneath (the sleeves were closed about her arms). A golden cord hung loosely about her waist, making the deep forest green of the dress look even more powerful. Her hair was loose, but caught under a gold circlet where a sheer veil covered part. The fabric shimmered in the light, it seemed fine like silk, but heavy enough as well.

"My lady." Harry bowed deeply. She looked like a queen.

Ginny smiled as she descended, matching silk slippers appearing as she held up her skirt. She looked him over and nodded appreciatively. He looked like a warrior-king, but for one thing.

She curtsied as he bowed again to kiss her hand.

"My lord, I do believe you have forgotten something." Ginny informed him.

Harry looked confused. But played along. "I do not remember such a thing, but if my lady doth believe I hath done so, it must be rectified immediately..."

Ginny snapped her fingers. A gold circlet similar to her own appeared in her hand and she settled it upon his head.

"Yes, a fine adornment for a warrior-king." She stated.

"Yet a queen of such beauty as your own requires no such adornment." Harry replied gallantly.

"It is a kind gesture, my lord. Willst thou not escort me to tonight's celebrations?"

"I will do such, for it is only a knave who would leave a lady without an escort." Harry brought her hand to his lips and kissed it gently. "You look wonderful, Fire."

"As do you, Blade." Ginny replied.

Harry held out his arm, and Ginny placed her hand upon it, using the other to lift her skirt to allow her the ability to walk easily.

Harry smiled. "Well then, my lady, let us see what the night is to behold."

XXXXXXXXXX

James sighed. "I can't believe Lily would risk being late!"

"_That_ doesn't matter." Sirius pointed it out. "Think of it this way. She's spent hours getting herself ready, she must look good. And for who's benefit?"

"Her own, most likely. Lily is a free person." James responded without hesitation or assumption.

Sirius shook his head. His friend, who was still ignoring his feelings, had thus become blind to Lily's, which were obvious to everyone else, even in the way the pair still argued.

Sirius then grinned and leapt up, only to greet his date who emerged from the stairs, dressed in Greek robes that seemed to cling a lot more than usual. In a shimmering blue-white with silver cord at her waist and brooches on the shoulders, and her hair partially clipped up, she looked very much the counterpart to Sirius' Greek Adonis. A silver edged mask covered the area about her eyes. Silver sandals adorned her feet.

"You look great, Mary." Sirius told her appreciatively.

She gave an uncertain smile. "Thanks. So do you." Then she looked at James mischievously. While not close to Lily, all the girls were friends. "You're in for a shock, James."

James frowned, only to realise that a rush of girls had gone past, leaving with their dates. The stairs were clear. Meaning...

His eyes widened as a visage appeared.

"Lily." He breathed, standing slowly.

Lily Evans had come to the top of the stairs. Slowly, she made her way down.

She looked amazing in a very deep green dress of velvet. A black bodice was tied over the top, accenting a slim waist and a rather curvaceous figure (James couldn't help noting). The neckline was broad and shallow, golden brocade about it. A small emerald hide in the hollow of her neck, matching drops in her ears. A full skirt blossomed from under the bodice, the velvet falling in graceful folds. The sleeves were fairly tight about her arm and wrist, but a brocaded cloak-like piece of fabric fell from her shoulders, joining the dress again at the wrist. The front few strands of her red hair were caught back with a tiny golden clip, the rest of the hair beneath it. A green and gold mask covered her eyes, but fit so snugly it looked natural. She was stunning.

As if he had been there once before, James bowed reflexively, saying, "Never has such beauty graced mine eyes."

Lily smiled, laughter in her own eyes. "A golden tongue doth compliment me too much."

James smiled. "Methinks the lady doth protest too much."

"Shakespeare?"

"Of course."

Lily smiled.

"May I escort you, milady?" James requested.

"Of course, good Sir Gryffindor. It would be my honour." Lily accepted his arm.

"My lady, the honour is all mine." James smiled. The he frowned. "This seems familiar. But I can't tell why."

Lily shook her head. "Maybe you'll figure it out later. Come on. We can't be late. Besides, I want to know what the teachers are wearing. And the format will be very interesting." She giggled. Few knew exactly how the feast was taking place. Certain old-fashioned traditions had been instituted.

"Who are you dress as?" James asked.

"The Lady Rhian, Gryffindor's wife." She blushed lightly. "It seemed appropriate."

"Especially since you share the trait of being a redhead. Although you also share that trait with many of my female ancestors." James joked.

"Why?"

"The last three generations of Potters have married redheads." James explained.

"Oh." Lily replied. There wasn't much answer to that. So why did it seem important then?

XXXXXXXXXX

Harry and Ginny approached the main stairs, unaware of the couple on the opposite set.

The many waiting students stared in amazement as they seemingly saw double. Two redheaded women in green accompanied two dark-haired men with swords. The difference was in the time of the costume – one was four centuries older than the other – and the masks one pair wore. But to be quite honest, the students were struggling to work out which was Lily and James and which was Professor Potter and Miss Westley.

Lily's hand sat softly on James' arm as they carefully walked down the stairs, her skirts in hand. She marvelled at the array of historic costumes. Some were in fitting with the time of the Founders, others much older. Few were more recent. She guessed most of them had gone for costumes the Founders themselves may have seen. Some people merely wore costume, while others were dressed as actual people as well.

James marvelled at the beauty on his arm, before looking ahead, only to see a familiar black-haired and redheaded couple coming down the opposing staircase. For a second it was as though he was looking in a mirror but for his costume, before he remembered he'd charmed his hair longer. Still, he had to confess, the resemblance was striking.

Ginny smiled as Harry made a simple, but entertaining comment referring to the costumed students below them. She let go of his hand as she went to peer over the platform part of the staircase at them.

"My lady, be careful of these stairs. They are known to play tricks on even the fairest of ladies." Harry told her, taking her arm.

"Why, good sir knight, I had no idea thou cared so much." Ginny replied in like tongue.

"Thy beauty is such that to compliment it too often would be to spoil the effect one may make. Compliments pale in comparison." Harry answered, smiling at her.

"Then I will be careful whom I accept compliments from." Ginny assured him, looking a little coquettish.

"Be sure thou dost. Now, we are waited upon. Let us not irritate the king's subjects to insubordination." Harry grinned.

Ginny, remembering what was planned, gave a laugh and nodded. "To do so would be churlish and far beneath our status."

"Aye, milady."

James and Lily reached the end of the stairs just seconds before Harry and Ginny did.

"My Lord Gryffindor, Lady Rhian, shouldst thou not open the doors? Surely it is unfit to keep thy king waiting?" Harry questioned, laughter in his eyes.

James instantly knew that their costumes sprung from the true tales of the Celtic hero. Not a knight, but a warrior, with a beloved and faithful wife.

"My Lord Arthur, Lady Gwenhwyfar. I greet thee this night. Yes, we will be informing the king of our presence."

Harry nodded.

Lily and James went forward and spoke their practised speech. "Hogwarts, thy Lord Gryffindor requests that thou dost open thy doors and grant us speech with thy present king!"

The doors swung open. One of the prefects, dressed as a herald, called out.

"Dumbledore, King of Samhain and Lord of Hogwarts!"

"Tell thy lord, there are those who wouldst speak with him." James ordered the herald.

The prefect ran up, whispered something in Dumbledore's ear and returned. "You are to be presented."

James nodded. "But we are not first."

Harry and Ginny stepped forward, looking like a real king and queen of old, leading their subjects.

"My Lord Arthur Pendragon of the Order of the Griffin, and his consort, Lady Gwenhwyfar of the Order of the Amazon." The herald announced.

Harry and Ginny entered, Ginny's hand on Harry's. They approached the 'throne' where Dumbledore sat, looking a lot like Harry had always imagined King Duncan from _Macbeth_. Harry bowed low as Ginny curtsied.

"My lord king." Harry nodded, smiling.

"Lord, Lady, welcome to my table and my feast. Eat, drink, laugh and enjoy." Dumbledore responded.

"We accept thy hospitality gratefully." Ginny responded, nodding and turning to take their seats at the Head Table.

Next who entered were James and Lily.

"My Lord Gryffindor of the Order of the Griffin, and his consort, Lady Rhian of the Order of the Amazon."

Harry's eyes widened in surprise. He had never known that Gryffindor and Cara were of the same two Orders as Arthur, Gwenhwyfar, himself and he suspected Ginny also. That was interesting.

"My King, greetings." James bowed as Lily curtsied gracefully, sinking to the floor, her hand still on James'.

"Welcome, my friends. Take of my table all that you need." Dumbledore told them.

"We thank thee and accept thy generosity." Lily confirmed.

The introductions continued, but passed strangely quickly as each pair or group (some had come as legendary groups, including some fifth-years as some of the Knights of the Round Table – the traditional ones) entered, greeted Dumbledore (who was enjoying himself immensely) and sat down at their table. There were many shorter tables today, so many houses mixed. Harry smiled as most did. He also smiled as he realised it was McGonagall acting as hostess and queen. Well, as the recently selected deputy head, it was to be expected.

"Now that all are sat, I beg of thee, eat and enjoy the bounty laid before you." Dumbledore smiled.

And they did. The feast was magnificent, including many delicious, more old-fashioned dishes. It seemed to pass all too quickly and they were all asked to stand. With a wave of his hand, Dumbledore caused the tables to disappear. Harry, however, knew that this particular spell was a triggered one. The handwave was a trigger, not the caster.

"Now, with music and laughter, I ask you to drink, dance and be merry!" Dumbledore ordered cheerfully.

Harry and Ginny took to the dance floor first, recognising the old tune of a dance known as 'The Battle of the Dragons', referring to Merlin's first discovery. It was lively and fun, and soon many other students had joined in, attempting to copy their professors' swift steps and movements. But a few also noted that another couple danced the steps perfectly.

Lily and James. Harry smirked and knew it be long before teachers began reflexively putting the name Potter after both. He wondered who would be first.

Next, some sort of waltz was played. The students more easily settled into this. Many of them could dance it perfectly. Harry knew that for pureblooded families it was a sign of pride for their children to be able to dance the main dances perfectly. Many less than pureblooded families, or those that knew of the tradition, joined them, determined not to be shown up.

It wasn't long after the younger years had been sent to bed that Ginny whispered in Harry's ear, "I feel like something's going to happen."

Harry looked up at the sky and the nearly full moon. He saw Remus glance up at it and shudder, grateful he was only tormented one night of the month. The sky was clear, the stars easily discernable against the deep velvet. Yes, Ginny was right. Something was about to happen.

A jolt hit the castle suddenly.

Harry jumped and was suddenly at a high window. "Voldemort! He must be using the energies of All Hallow's to give him an extra boost of power!"

He looked down at the students.

"Why is he here?" James asked.

And then it hit Harry. This was when Voldemort discovered the Gryffindor line. James' costume, complete with a ring identical to Harry's own, gave it away. He shook his head, no matter.

"Most likely to hit one of the major strongholds of the light." Harry sighed. He looked around. Most of the costumes were too restrictive for the students to easily fight. Luckily some of the boys, however...

"All students, fifth-year and above. Those of you who are willing, join me outside. It you can, transfigure or change costumes into something more useful." He glanced at Ginny. "Gin, you're with me."

"One sec." To everyone's surprise, she stripped off the dress. A thin shift underneath began to glow, before she turned out to be in old-fashioned leather breeches, boots, shirt and a leather bodice with straps over the shoulders.

She pulled the veil from the circlet and banished the rest of her costume. Seconds later, a sword, pair of daggers and her wand raced through the room.

"Ready."

"Good."

Everyone was amazed at the change. Yet she still somehow looked like a Celtic queen. This time though, she was a warrior.

Lily wished her costume had not been so extravagant. But she had loved it on sight. Never mind. Dipping behind a tapestry, she summoned some more suitable clothes and changed. But as she put them on, she didn't notice them change again. Emerging, she looked like an Amazon once more.

"All right. Teachers, fan out. Take out as many as you can. Students, remember, stun, not kill. But if it's between you and them, you know what to choose. No illegal curses. And good luck."

They nodded.

Harry looked at them as they headed outside. And prayed they would survive.

XXXXXXXXXX

James fought like possessed. His costume seemed to have gained magical properties, acting like armour. He had been lucky when he'd discovered it in the house. He wondered idly if there was a reason for it.

"Stupefy!" He shouted, felling a Death Eater.

He dodged a red light, not caring whether it was a stunner or Cruciatus. Whipping round, he pulled out his sword, placing his wand in a groove within it.

Harry had revealed this handy tool to him. It meant he could cast spells and use the sword to protect himself at the same time.

He whipped the sword around, striking deep into the side of a Death Eater who was going to curse him from behind. His eyes widened and he registered what he had done. Then he ducked and was thrown into the fracas once more.

XXXXXXXXXX

Harry fought, his sword a blur in the motions it passed. He wondered how this would end. Dumbledore had not spoken of an attack in his parents' last year. What was he supposed to do?

He didn't know.

"_Stupefy_! _Impedimenta_! _Kerelias_!" Harry yelled, shooting the power through the magical conductor that was his sword.

Then a white light hit him.

"SLYTHERIN!" A voice yelled above the mêlée. Many turned to see the Defence professor bathed in light, glowing with red and gold. His clothes were dyed the same colours. "SLYTHERIN! LET MY CHILDREN GO!"

"Who are you, you pathetic fool?"

Harry cocked his head. "A conduit, but no matter. You shall leave now. The line of Gryffindor shall fight, and they shall spell your end, Heir of Slytherin. You will leave."

"The line of Gryffindor? But they died..." Voldemort's eyes suddenly lit on James Potter, still fighting, wielding a sword and wearing a gold and ruby ring as part of a costume made as Gryffindor. "Unless the name was changed to hide." He murmured.

"They spell your end, Slytherin. Gryffindor will always oppose your evil." Harry announced.

"They can only oppose it if they are alive to do so." Voldemort sneered.

XXXXXXXXXX

Lily screamed under the pain of Cruciatus until suddenly she was brought back to reality.

"James?"

"Lils, we've gotta keep fighting. Voldemort's _here_." James told her, helping her up.

Lily turned to look over, eyes widening as she realised what the defence professor was doing. Speaking to Voldemort. But the glow?

It was then that Voldemort's eyes hit hers. She felt a presence in her mind, trying to tell her to do something...

'_No. Nonono, I WON'T!'_

Voldemort felt himself thrust out of the redhead's mind.

'_A natural Occlumens. Interesting. A Mudblood too.'_ Voldemort nodded.

He looked at Harry, sneering.

"Then maybe I will just take Gryffindor's line away." He gloated.

Before anyone could do anything, he seemed to swoop on Lily and James and activated a portkey.

Harry fainted.

XXXXXXXXXX

Harry awoke to worried and angry voices.

Opening his eyes, he remembered.

"What happened? Where are Lily and James?" Harry demanded.

Dumbledore looked at him. "There were no casualties, but..."

"They're gone." Sirius murmured.

Remus finished for him. "Voldemort kidnapped them. They've not got back. They're not going to. No one ever survives him."

XXXXXXXXXX

A/N: Argh! Don't you just hate me right now? Sorry! It was a necessary evil, I'm afraid.

Anyway, review please! You are my reason to live and keep working through Sixth-form! It may be half-term, but I have so much homework to do!

Lol, Tanydwr


	13. Chapter 13: Captives

Okay, here's the chapter.

Message 1: I'm abandoning the only post on Fridays thing, but I'll try and keep posting regularly.

Message 2: Fans of 'Curses' will be happy to know I have finally found some inspiration and I should be posting that up soon.

Message 3: Sorry it hasn't been posted up 'til today. 13 was an unlucky chapter!

Message 4: Anyone had a flame from Borg? The slimy git flamed me, my sister and SarahtheBardess. Anyone know who he is? Borg, if you're listening – get a life!

Message 5: Be glad I'm posting up now, I want to watch Children in Need! (That's tonight – 19th November!)

Message 6: Winter has come. It snowed yesterday. After sleeting when I walked home. After my umbrella packed in. Then it froze. This morning was treacherous. Someone tell the weather it's only November!

Anyway, there you go, and I hope you enjoy the chapter! Please review!

**Chapter 13: Captives**

Bright green eyes snapped open as Lily Evans awoke from a violence-induced stupor. Pain shot through her body, and her hands were bound tightly above her head. She moved from her limp position to stand properly, pain shooting through her feet.

She looked down at her outfit. She thought she'd just worn tracksuit bottoms and a t-shirt. Why then, did she look like she was a warrior princess? Leather trousers covered her lower half, flared for heeled boots underneath. A white blouse in some light fabric, cotton probably, was on her top, under a leather top covering her torso and over her shoulders, a slit tied over her stomach by laces. More laces tied the blouse. Her hair was still loose. A belt at her waist revealed an empty dagger sheath – since when had she had a dagger? A matching wand holster was also empty.

She looked up, surveying the room to find James.

She saw him. He was wearing what his costume had changed into in the midst of battle. Something told her it was no normal costume. The sheaths on his belt were empty, his wand had disappeared with hers. His hair had shortened to its original length. She realised that without the mask, he wasn't wearing glasses either. How could they escape with him half-blind without them?

She held back a gasp as his head suddenly whipped up and he surveyed the room, taking his incarceration in his stride. His eyes were remarkably focused without the glasses...

He saw her. "Lily? Portkey, wasn't it?"

She nodded. "Why?"

"He's discovered the family secret. I don't know why he chose you. Presumably he saw you as a threat?"

She remembered Voldemort trying to get into her mind and pushing him away. "I thrust him from my mind. I'm a natural Occlumens. The professor's been teaching me to utilise it effectively."

James' eyes widened as he realised he was not the only one having lessons with Professor Potter. Then he noticed her clothes. "Where did you get that?"

"I don't know. I just shoved on a pair of tracksuit trousers and a shirt. Somehow... they became this. What happened to your tunic?"

"Magical properties. I'll have to ask Dad about it when we get out here."

"If. Don't you mean _if_ we get out of here?"

"Don't be defeatist, Lils. Ol' Voldemort will come, threaten to kill us, probably chuck a few Cruciatuses around, get pissed off when we don't tell him anything and leave us without food or drink until tomorrow when he repeats the process. He'll also probably display the fact that he has our wands and weapons to take the piss. Nice chap, he is." James told her cheerfully.

Lily stared at him. "How do you know that?"

"It's what all Dark Lords do. Besides, I got caught last year in Diagon Alley. And Professor Potter had a few stories too. Voldemort loves to goad the fact that he has more power than you. However, he's not always right."

That phrase sounded odd. What did James mean? He had more power than Voldemort? Surely not!

James grinned at her puzzled expression. "Family secret, but we Potters always reach magical maturity strongly. Add to that that I 'matured' maybe a few hours ago and I've always had power surges on Hallowe'en... At least I hope its still Hallowe'en. We should be able to use tonight's magic to help. If it's turned midnight..."

"Doesn't Hallowe'en last until dawn? Magical Hallowe'en, I mean." Lily wondered.

James' eyes widened. Yes, that was probably true... His expression changed and he grinned.

"What?" She asked.

"You, my lady, are a genius as well as a goddess." He informed her, not quite meaning to say that. "I guess I'm going to get some more practise for being an Auror. You put any spells on your wand?"

"Linked to my blood. I discovered it in a book I got from Ollivander when I first got my wand. No one else can use it." She replied.

"Great. We need our wands and weapons. And getting out of here would be a good idea too. Why couldn't they use ropes?"

"Because we can escape from them more easily?"

"Probably. Now, Death Eaters, it stands to reason, will only guard against magical lock-picking, right?"

"Probably. They probably don't know there _is_ a Muggle way to pick locks." Lily replied, suddenly seeing where he was going.

"So if we can get something the right shape into our hands..."

"We can pick the lock and escape!"

"Now all we need is –"

The door to the cell slammed open and a rush of icy air struck the teens cruelly. Three men entered, black robes forbidding, expressions gleeful and dark.

James felt sick as he saw what they held. A magical device, known as a Memorlive. It caused a person to relive their worst memories. Completely. Every hex thrown, every curse cast, every wound received, all would reappear. And if they used it on him... His last imprisonment had not been pleasant, no matter what he had told Lily.

"Hello, Potter. Becoming quite a regular visitor, aren't you?" A voice sneered.

James looked into the face of Rodolphus Lestrange. He felt some glee as he replied. "I guess, accommodations aren't good. Tell me, do you enjoy sharing your wife with your master? I heard that she actually finds him better in bed. But then, of course, Voldemort is a snake, and a snake would probably be preferable to a worm, huh, Rodolphus?"

Lily watched in horror as Lestrange stepped forwards and dealt James a harsh blow across the face. A cut appeared from his ring.

James gave a bitter laugh. "Best you can do, Lestrange? No wonder Bella's getting it from someone else."

SLAM! A punch into his stomach left James choking without breath.

"Need a bit more power? Guess Bella does that. Runs for the Blacks, y'know. Sirius, though, and Andy? The 'blood traitors'? Most powerful of all of them."

Lestrange caught him around the neck and snarled.

"Keep your smart comments to yourself, Potter. Maybe I'll send Bella in later. You can have a nice chat about her traitorous sister and cousin."

"Do that." James choked. "I'll ask her about what positions Voldemort uses."

Lestrange roared. A volley of punches, kicks and blows attacked the seventeen-year-old.

Lily screamed. "No!"

It was then they turned their attention to her.

"Don't want your boyfriend getting hurt, Mudblood?" A familiar voice sneered.

Her blood chilled. Lucius Malfoy. The one who tried to... She forced the memory away. If he brought that back, if he put that Memorlive upon her head...

He drew closer to her, a sickening smirk on his face.

"I would have had satisfaction a long time ago if it hadn't been for that filth." He spat in James' direction.

The teen was weak, bleeding and bruised, but he still showed defiance.

Lucius dragged an icy finger up the girl's cheek. Lily spat in his face.

A slap rang out across the room. Lily's head was turned, but she turned back slowly, emerald eyes burning in fury.

Lestrange recoiled as he saw James' head snap up, his eyes burning in fury.

"You have sunk to a new low in striking a lady, Lord Malfoy." James snarled.

"You have caused thy destruction. For one day you will harm a lady too many and she shall have her revenge on you." Lily promised.

Before he could respond, the manacles dissolved and the captives were thrust into a cage in the centre of a room.

Voldemort stood in front of a throne, sneering at them.

"It seems that our guests have a few lessons to learn. Potter, I'm disappointed. I would have thought you'd remember how to respect your host."

"Respect is earned, not given." James snarled, standing. His clothes were in perfect shape, yet blood stained his face.

Lily joined him, bruise forming. "I don't respect anyone unless they respect me. And I doubt your followers respect anyone. They just obey you from fear. Or they hope to take your place."

"Nice sentiments, Miss Evans, but wrong. They follow me because we have a purpose! To rid the world of Mudbloods like you!"

"How about you start with yourself then?" James asked. "Instead of waiting until last, you pathetic half-blood."

Voldemort looked at him, hard, and then began laughing. "A half-blood? I, in whose veins run the noble blood of Salazar Slytherin?"

"You're _related_ to that old loony?" James looked at him surprised. "I guess that explains it. Inbreeding. Too much pure blood."

A hiss escaped Voldemort's lips. The cage suddenly filled with lightning. James launched himself at Lily, covering her with his body. She felt his body convulse as lightning struck him. The electric bolts stopped as suddenly as they started.

"Did you appreciate that, Potter? Are you and your family of blood traitors quite satisfied with your pain?"

"Nah, that kind of tickled."

Lily stared up at him. Was he insane? He was goading the Dark Lord! Then she blinked. In this light, without his glasses, he looked so much like Professor Potter that it was scary.

Suddenly, Lily's eyes clouded and she stood.

"_Thrice-defied, he who flies from death shall destroy his adversaries..._" The words fell from her lips. "_But the line of Gryffindor will outlast his foe's..._"

She dropped, James caught her.

"Lily... Lils, wake up..." James urged. "Please, don't go unconscious on me now. Not now."

Her eyes flickered. "Godric?"

His eyes widened. "Lily?"

She blinked and shook her head. "Sorry, I just – I zoned out is all."

"Okay. Well, we still the need to escape."

Suddenly, Lily looked up. "Hey, Mr Voldemort, what's the date?"

The Dark Lord started, probably not expecting to be called 'Mr Voldemort'. "Second of November."

Lily's eyes widened. "James, no power surges. Where is everyone? Aren't they going to help us?"

"I don't know. But let's give them all the help we can from the inside." James grinned at her.

"Yes. Lets."

They stood, heads up, proud, defiant, even arrogant.

"Hey Voldemort." James looked at him. "Guess what?"

"What?"

"My wand has a few spells on it." He flashed a grin. "Stag calls!"

Instantly, the wand, sword and daggers flew through the air to James' waiting hands. He slid them all into their appropriate sheathes and stood prepared.

"Lils, see if your wand responds to blood calls blood."

Lily nodded. She flung her head back, he eyes rolled into the back of her head. Moving her head forward, she held out a hand.

"Blood to blood, I summon thee!"

Her wand came to her hand. Strangely, so did the dagger. James' eyes widened as he recognised the dagger. It was a family heirloom, passed down to Potters'... wives. What could it mean? Did it mean something similar to the fact that going down to the Great Hall as Godric and Rhian had felt so real?

"You cannot cast spells within the cage anyway, you fools." Voldemort snarled.

"Don't need to." James pulled out his sword and slammed through the lock with little effort. "Mysteel. A steel strengthened with any number of other alloys and from ores of the most magical sites in the world. Family heirloom too. So, a silver cage? It's not going to stand up to it."

And thus began one of the most spectacular fights of the war. Because as James and Lily smashed through the door, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix crashed through the windows and doors of the room.

Of course, the preliminary result was panic, as several Death Eaters went down at once under Stunners and Body Binds.

Voldemort attacked James and Lily.

"_Crucio_!"

"_Averto_." James yelled, as well as dodging. The spell sent the Unforgivable bouncing into the sky harmlessly.

Voldemort sucked in a breath, annoyed.

"So Potter has a few tricks, does he?" He hissed.

"What, you expect the heir to the Potters to be helpless?" James demanded.

"You dabble only in light magics, you cannot hope to reach my power!"

Lily snorted. "Have you not heard of the Patronus Charm? It's incredibly powerful and light! Fuelled by happiness, not anger! You cannot feel good, true emotions. One day you will discover how much you have missed out on, ignoring the spells fuelled by love, hope and righteous grief and anger!"

Harry heard those words as he battled. He paused, before thumping a 'newbie' as he called the recent recruits. Was his mother a seer of sorts?

No, surely not. He had to grin though. Evidently, his parents weren't in as much danger as Remus anticipated.

It was then that a pair of Memorlives hit the heads of James and Lily, and they fell under an onslaught of their worst memories.

Under her clothes, Lily felt cold hands touching her, blows to the head and torso, a brutal slash of steel against her stomach. She felt his touch, his breath, she felt the pain as he forced his tongue inside her mouth, savaged her lips, bruised her neck with his fingers. She felt those hands tearing at her clothes, slamming her into a wall, she remembered him grabbing her, undoing his trousers... And it started again, and again, and again...

James was hit by half a dozen Cruciatus Curses, then they were removed as they turned his blood to acid for split seconds, tormenting his insides. Cutting curses hit him all over. And not one of the people outside could see him bleed, for his clothes remained untouched by the spell. White-hot needles punched through his nails. Whips cracked against his back. The laughter, the mocking. The mental torture, trapping him, seeing his family slaughtered, again and again, helpless, not knowing if it was truth or illusion...

The screams erupted and mingled.

Harry did not hear them. He was fighting off a dozen Cruciatuses, Imperios and a number of swords. He missed one, and he heard a shnicht as a ligament snapped. He groaned and ignored the pain, praying they would not bring out one of the things that could cause a Moonlight Vampire most pain.

It was a chilling, but temporary curse on most. But the Ice-Blood Curse on a Moonlight Vampire caused inexorable pain, for blood manipulation was difficult and therefore tore through more of his magical defences. If they used that, or a similar blood-affecting curse...

As if someone read his mind, he was hit.

"Aargh!" Harry bellowed in pain as his entire body froze.

He fell, but saw before blanking out, his parents throw off the Memorlives and send a joint hex at Voldemort.

James and Lily collapsed, energy spent, blood lost.

The Order declared victory, and the injured were taken to St Mungo's or the Infirmary.

And Ginny waited for knowledge of her lover's safety.

XXXXX

Enjoy?

By the way, thanks to everyone who read and reviewed my one-shot. I struggle with short stories, so your support was really appreciated. I'm going to watch Children in Need now.

Ciao!

Lol, Tanydwr


	14. Chapter 14: Revelations

Look, I finally got the chapter finished!

I am so sorry it took so long, but being the kind of person who forgets to write down her ultimate plan and then suffers chronic writer's block… Well, it happens.

Wasn't HBP great though? My views at the end. And no, this was pre-HBP and will remain so.

Anyway, enjoy and I hope none of you hate me too much. I've done my best and a big revelation was the only way to get the creative juices flowing. Well, that and Harry and Ginny's wicked comments.

**Chapter 14: Revelations**

James stared out of the window. He sighed. What had happened on Hallowe'en? What had happened at the battle?

More importantly, why did Lily have what had been his mother's ceremonial dagger? He had to wonder. After all, it never went to the new 'Mrs. Potter' until during the wedding in the blood-binding ceremony. So why had it changed hands now?

He was waiting for his parents to come. He was surprised they weren't there, but his father was on a deep job for the Department of Mysteries, and his mother was still working to heal patients after another attack on Diagon Alley. Would they come? Did they even know their son had been kidnapped yet again?

He pushed away the bitter thoughts. His parents loved him; he knew that. He just never got to see them anymore, so caught up in their jobs they were.

'_This is Voldemort's legacy,'_ he thought. _'Even if we survive, if he's defeated, how many people are going to be distant, desensitised, from their family and friends? How many will be unable to survive in peace?'_

XXXXX

Ginny hovered by Harry's bedside, her face showing three days of worry. His other wounds had been healed, but the remnants of the Ice-Blood Curse in his blood…

He was just lucky it had only been held on him for a moment or two. Blood manipulation for too long on a Moonlight Vampire could have terrible consequences. She had heard of some earlier Moonlight Vampires and such incidents. One had died from a full two minutes of the curse. Another had suffered the Acidis Curse – one that turned a victim's blood into acid in their vessels, but never hit the heart. _That_ was part of a set of Dark Blood Curses.

Ginny yearned for him. She loved him so much, and but for a few kisses and the Vampire's claiming of him, she had not yet had the satisfaction her human side craved to make the mating and bond complete. As such, she was somewhat frustrated. Hence several very heavy training sessions.

Furthermore, she was concerned about Lily and James. Neither had spoken much after their capture. James sat and brooded – his friends had found him in all sorts of lonely places about the castle. Lily, on the other hand, seemed to be pretending that it hadn't happened. She was, however, wandering around with that dagger on her person – usually concealed in a boot.

Since Hallowe'en, both Lily and James seemed to acting differently anyway. Both were quicker, more accurate and deadlier in battle. Strange, old-fashioned turns of phrase were uttered. And their interaction with each other was baffling to say the least. James was not going out of his way to woo her, yet he seemed to be giving many more courtly actions – holding open doors, pulling out chairs, scolding others for bad language in 'the ladies' presence'. Lily almost seemed to flirt back, uttering sweet thank-yous, blushing, and giving loving smiles.

Suffice to say, Ginevra Weasley was confused.

A stirring in the bed beside her brought her back to Earth with a jolt.

"Harry?" She murmured.

He groaned and his eyes fluttered open. "Anyone destroy the Knight Bus for hitting me?"

Ginny laughed. "Harry, you're awake!"

He nodded painfully. "So I noticed by the sudden feeling of pain. And the headache."

"I'll call Madam Pomfrey." She murmured, kissing him on the forehead.

Harry nodded, unable to think clearly with the pain that racked his entire body.

Madam Pomfrey bustled over. "Oh thank goodness you're awake. The healing will go much more quickly now." She stated, flicking a wand over him to perform a Diagnosis Charm.

She nodded, and then helped him sit up in bed. "Drink this first, it will heal your blood from the spell. Then drink the Pain-Relief Potion. That will dull the pain as your blood is healed. You should be able to leave in a day or two."

Harry downed the potions quickly, barely letting them hit the sides in hope to diminish the terrible taste.

He still winced as he swallowed.

Ginny sat on the bed beside him, tracing patterns on his hand soothingly. "How're you feeling?"

"As I said, I think the Knight Bus hit me."

"Ice-Blood Curse."

"Ah. No wonder my entire body feels like ice."

"Exactly. Poppy healed the rest whilst you were asleep, but that had to wait until you were awake for treatment." Ginny sighed, and kissed his temple. "I was so worried."

Harry gave her a smile and brought her hand to his mouth to kiss it tenderly. "Well, I'll be healed in a few hours. What happened with classes?"

"I set some research work. We'll test them on it when you're up to teaching."

"You sure?" He asked, looking at her carefully.

"Of course I am. Now hush." Ginny ordered.

"As you command, my lady." Harry smiled, giving a mock bow with his head and hearing a satisfying click of his neck.

"Ugh, that's disgusting, Harry." Ginny informed him with a wince.

"Once a month we want to rape and drink other people's blood, and you think my clicking my neck is disgusting?" Harry raised a brow.

Ginny flapped a hand at him flippantly. "Oh, pish, you know what I meant."

"Indeed I do, my beloved, indeed I do."

XXXXX

Brighid Potter walked through Hogwarts briskly, one hand firmly clasped around a Healer's kit, the other holding onto her husband's arm. This had been the first time the two of them had been released from duty together and their first opportunity to visit their son.

"Mr and Mrs Potter, welcome." Professor McGonagall smiled.

Brighid rolled her eyes. "Minerva, I think we know each other well enough to be on first name terms."

"Being as we're related, yes, Brighid, I agree with you." Minerva gave a smirk. "How are you both?"

"Tired. I've barely had a minute off my feet. The attacks are getting worse, as are the spells used." Brighid sighed.

"How is James?" Her husband, Harold, asked.

"Quiet. Brooding. He and Lily are much changed from their ordeal. Professor Potter is still in the Infirmary. He was hit by some sort of blood curse and only woke up yesterday."

"Professor Potter?" Harold frowned, before nodding in remembrance. "The new Defence teacher, isn't he? I remember James mentioning a strange theory of Sirius'…"

"That Harry Potter is in fact James and Lily's son from the future?" Minerva asked. At Harold's nod, she continued. "He's been spreading that since the man arrived. Very dramatic, but he checked out."

"Who is he?"

"British, but studied in Canada. Parents murdered by You Know Who. Father was Muggle-born, mother was pureblood. And apparently his mother was a redhead." She grinned wickedly at Brighid. "It must be the name. His young assistant who he is quite enamoured with is also a redhead."

Harold laughed. "It's only redheads who can handle a Potter's temper and brooding ability."

"Then you had better hope young Miss Evans decides to change her mind about your son, though she seems to have done so partly anyway." Minerva explained. "Let's go to my office, you can talk with your son there."

"No, no, first I'd like to speak with the young man who saved our son and young Lily's life." Brighid insisted.

"Very well." Minerva began walking with them to the Infirmary. On the way, she caught sight of a second-year Gryffindor. "Mr Orenda, would you be good enough to locate James Potter and inform him that his parents are here to see him in my office. Or, if you can't find him in the tower, inform Mr Black, Mr Lupin and Mr Pettigrew and ask them to find him. If you see Miss Evans, mention it to her too."

"Yes, professor." The young boy scooted off.

"I can't guarantee that Professor Potter will be awake." Minerva explained. "He only woke up yesterday, and it has been four days since James and Lily were rescued."

"You said James had changed, how do you mean?" Brighid asked.

"He and Lily both. He uses odd turns of phrase, scolds others for bad language before 'ladies', opens doors… Old-fashioned, chivalrous things. Not that he wasn't polite, but it's as if he's from another century. Lily is the same – old-fashioned words, flirting, yet not in a swooning way, in a strong way, like a true witch of old."

"Since they got back?" Harold checked.

"Yes. Well, I guess they were a little like that at Hallowe'en, but they were in character then."

"Character?" Harold asked.

"Yes, there was a ball, don't you remember, Harold?" Brighid asked. "James asked us to send that Founder's costume we had in the…" Her voice trailed off as her eyes widened.

"Who did they go as?" Harold asked.

"Lord and Lady Gryffindor. Why?"

"There was a battle, wasn't there? Voldemort was there?"

"Yes. The strangest thing happened. Professor Potter seemed to be possessed, and shouted at Voldemort as though he was Slytherin. Claimed to be conduit, something about the line of Gryffindor outlasting that of Slytherin…"

Harold gasped. "We need to see James as soon as possible after we've spoken to this professor."

Minerva nodded. "Here we are. The Infirmary."

They entered in silence, conscious of the possibility that the professor was sleeping.

What they found was a picture.

Miss Westley sat on the end of Harry's bed, legs crossed, laughing care-freely. Harry was sat up, smirking at whatever he had just said. What made the picture was the ball of light above his hands. As he twisted his hands, it morphed into a rose.

"Nearly as pretty as you." He smiled at Ginny.

"But is it as prickly?" She grinned in reply.

He seemed to muse for a moment. "I really don't know. Well, then, I'll have to change it." Another flick of its wrists and it resembled a phoenix, flying with sparkling tail-feathers.

"Very nice. Now, Mr Potter, you going to stop with the magic? Madam Pomfrey'll have my hide if she knew I was letting you do magic again, let alone wandless."

"Where _is_ my wand?"

"In your trunk, it reappeared there when you dropped it in the battle. What _were_ you thinking, getting in the way of an Ice Blood Curse? A minute or two longer and the pain would have killed you, Harry, you know that!" Ginny scowled.

"I didn't get in the way of the curse deliberately, Gin! Just like neither of us walked up to Death Eaters in battle and said, 'Please curse me with something you think can drive us insane until we die'! It wasn't my fault!"

Ginny looked down, mollified. "I know, I know. I just… I worry, okay? We're so much stronger, and we can fight off that many more curses that it's hard to reconcile to being vulnerable to something so…"

"Mediocre?"

"Pedestrian." Ginny sighed.

Holding his hands out, Harry caught hers and pulled her towards him, holding her close in his arms.

"I won't let anything happen to you, Gin, you know that." Harry sighed. "And if you hadn't got to that bastard first, you know I'd've got him for you. Along with your charming older brothers."

"Nah, my brothers were too worried about shagging their girlfriends after the battle that they never really thought about it."

"I know." Harry sighed. "Ron got in so much trouble with Hermione for being out drinking… why, I had to resort to you as my drinking partner!"

"I know. I always wondered why they let me drink there." She frowned.

"Barman didn't give a rat's arse how old you were so long as you paid in real money." Harry shrugged.

She nodded. "Do you know how horrible it was, having to wait here while you went to rescue them?"

"Ginny, you're the second or third-strongest person in this school. With half of us on a rescue mission, we needed you here in case someone got wind of Hogwarts being without its full compliment."

Ginny nodded. "I know. And if I'd been more careful in the first battle, I wouldn't have been injured, and I would have been able to go."

"Besides, if I'd been killed, someone had to take the news back to your mum."

"You wanted _me_ dead too?" Ginny asked, mocking him.

"Well, who else better to spend death with?"

"Your parents…"

"That's the confusing bit." Harry explained. "Technically they're not dead for another three or four years. So, if I died in this time, would they be there?"

Minerva and the Potters gasped.

"_What_?"

Harry and Ginny turned to look and both paled.

Harry's reaction summed up the situation in one word.

"Shit."

XXXXX

"Um, Sirius?" A small second-year ventured in the common room.

Sirius turned in surprise to look at the chestnut-haired boy, but smiled at him. "Yep?"

"Professor McGonagall sent me to find James Potter, but I couldn't. So she sent me to tell you." Kieran Orenda explained.

"Tell me what?" Sirius asked with a light grin. The boy was clearly nervous at speaking to a seventh-year, a Marauder at that.

"James Potter's parents are here to see him in her office. She thought you might know where he is. And she said something about Lily Evans too." Orenda explained more fully.

"Ah, that's great. Thanks, Kieran. I'll find James." He grinned at the boy who scurried off.

'_About time they got here,'_ Sirius thought. _'They must've been so snowed under with work…'_

"Moony, Wormtail!" Sirius called as the two entered the common room. "Prongs' parents are in Minnie's office. Any idea where he is?"

"No." Remus replied. "But you might try the Heads' rooms. He seems to spend a lot more time in there now."

"Good point. Remember the password?"

Remus rolled his eyes. "Come on then." He informed him, dragging his friend from the common room.

A few minutes later, they were stood at the entrance to Lily and James' rooms.

"James decided on a new password, didn't he?" Remus frowned, trying to remember. "Fortune favours the bold."

The picture covering the entrance – that of a man and woman who were fairly obvious courting – swung open as the man murmured, "That it does, lad, that it does."

The others walked in.

"Prongs!" Sirius yelled. "Lilykins!"

"Call me Lilykins again, Sirius Black, and I _will_ gut you." Lily informed him from the doorway to her room.

"Good evening, fair Miss Evans. Pray tell, is our good friend Sir Prongs in?" Sirius gave an overly extravagant bow that was clearly aimed at taking the piss out of James' strange old ways of speaking.

"You can try his room." She shrugged, flopping onto one of the large armchairs in front of the fire of the Head's sitting room.

Sirius did just that, throwing open the door with a loud, "PRONGS!"

Lily paled as he did, because directly in her line of sight (she was sitting at angle and so could see beyond Sirius) was a very naked James Potter. She bit her lip and gripped the arm of the chair hard as her eyes roved over his body.

James (fortunately) didn't seem to notice Lily's gaze and looked at Sirius sharply.

"Ever heard of knocking, mate?"

"Never mind that. Your parents are in old McGonagall's office." Sirius shrugged.

"Thanks a lot. Now turn around and let me get dressed in peace."

"We shared a dorm for six years, James, there's not much of you that can shock me." Sirius replied. Then came a "Whoa!"

"Yes, you see, I had a slight change on Hallowe'en. Now let me get dressed." James snapped.

Lily had craned her head for a look at whatever Sirius had found so shocking to no avail.

Sirius just left and closed the door, his face confused.

Lily picked up a book, trying her best not to look like she had been spying on James Potter. All the while thinking, _'I do not fancy him, I do not fancy him, I do not fancy him…'_

However, three minutes later when he walked out in jeans, shirt and open casual robes (these a scarlet to set off the black jeans and shirt), it was all she could do not to jump him.

"You coming, Lily?" James asked.

"What?" Lily looked surprised.

James gave her a smile. "I think my parents would like to meet you, Miss Evans. Particularly after you had that dagger."

XXXXX

McGonagall was staring at Harry and Ginny in shock and confusion.

"What on Earth is going on?" She demanded.

Harry gave a weak grin. "Umm, mass hallucination?"

By now, all three had their wands trained on the two time-travellers.

"You _will_ tell us what's going on, and you will tell us now." Harold ordered them.

"Hey, James looks _just_ like you." Harry stated, almost with surprise.

Brighid couldn't repress a grin as Ginny whacked her boyfriend upside the head.

"Honestly, Harry. We're being threatened by the deputy head and your favourite student's parents and all you can say is how they resemble each other. Honestly!"

"You sound _just_ like Hermione." Harry informed her tartly.

"No I don't!"

"You do."

"Take that back! I can _not_ sound like someone who's busy making the best with two backs with my brother!"

"'Beast with two backs'? _Honestly_, Ginny, where do you get these things from?" Harry asked, surprised. "Besides, isn't she pregnant again?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Harry, when some women are pregnant, their hormones get to the point where they're willing to shag anything with two legs and penis."

Harry pulled a face that reminded Harold of the time he'd introduced his son to the birds and the bees (James was still in the 'girls are yucky' stage at the time). "I really didn't need to know that."

"Yes you did." Ginny smirked at him. "Because I'll guarantee that's what'll happen to me when you get me pregnant."

By this point, the three with wands were just staring at them, confused and bewildered by the bizarre pair in front of them.

Minerva groaned. "They sound like James and Lily on a good day."

Harold and Brighid shot her a suspicious look.

"W-what?"

"I read it in a book. People like me get that way during pregnancy. Not to mention the family history."

This startled him into speech. "Ginny, if there's one thing I don't want to think of, it's your parents doing the dirty."

"Now who's the one with weird phrases? 'Doing the dirty', honestly." Ginny smirked. "It's just making love. Besides, I can think of a worse image."

Harry paled further. "Don't say it. Please don't say what I think you're going to!"

"Well, I was going to say _your_ parents. But it could be your grandparents. Or, considering the bets about our old headmaster and deputy head…"

Harry shot a barely concealed glance at McGonagall and the Potters before grimacing. "Ginny, that's disgusting! He was probably about seventy when she was _born_."

Ginny giggled. "He probably taught her Transfiguration."

"No, no, no! No dirty connotations! I know how your mind works, and you are not going to do the detention joke! Nor are you going to inflict it on my students when I'm teaching them again."

"Aww, Harry, the Marauder'll appreciate it."

"Yes, but then you'll make a comment about detention, and the whole school will hear about us shagging like bunnies."

"Well, it's better than the rumours that are going to start about what's going on in the Heads' bathroom."

"_Excuse me_!" Brighid cried.

Ginny coloured. "Erm…"

Harry groaned. "There's a pervy portrait in there, according to Lily and James. Merpeople." He groaned. "Mediterranean ones at that. Considering the fact that the bets are coming on even more quickly about when Lily and James will get together, we suspect it will be soon."

"Professor Potter, considering you and Miss Westley have attempted to lead us from the point in question, I would like to reiterate our earlier inquiry in easier terms. What do you mean by 'this time' and your parents dying in three or four years' time?" McGonagall demanded.

Harry looked at Ginny. She sighed and gave a nod.

"Precisely that."

"How do you mean?"

"Ginny and I are from the future."

XXXXX

In McGonagall's office, the Marauders and Lily were getting bored.

"It's been ten minutes already. What's taking so long?" Sirius whined.

James rolled his eyes. "It's possible they wanted to see Professor Potter, considering he saved our lives. Maybe it's just taking a little longer."

"Still…"

"You don't have to stay, you know, Padfoot." James informed him. "We'll be fine without you."

"And miss this golden opportunity? I think not."

"What 'golden opportunity'?" Lily asked, suspicious.

"To embarrass you both, of course. Like about what _really_ happens in that bathroom of yours…"

"Sirius Black, you will not mention anything about what goes on in our bathroom!" Lily yelled.

"So something _does_ go on, does it?" Sirius smirked.

"NO!"

"Hmm…"

"You dare, Padfoot, and I'll string you up by your balls."

"Nice, Prongs, really nice." Remus winced.

James grinned. "I thought so."

XXXXX

"You're _what_?"

"From the future. About twenty-two years to be exact." Harry replied. "Dumbledore realised he hadn't had a teacher, made the connection to my name and sent me on my merry way. Then he sent Ginny."

McGonagall stared. "So all this information – about your friends and family… is from the _future_?"

"Yep. Also, we think this is the reason you suspected us of hiding in broom cupboards in my seventh-year." Harry grinned at her cheerfully.

"W-what?"

"You attended Hogwarts." Harold Potter stated.

"Naturally. Name was down since I was born." Harry grinned. "At least, that's what Hagrid said. Besides, we were here in the natural timeline anyway, so we were supposed to go back…"

"Don't think about it too much, Harry." Ginny advised. "You'll just give yourself a headache."

"Thanks a lot." Harry commented dryly.

"You're welcome." Ginny grinned cheerfully.

"So, what did you come here for originally?" Harry asked.

Brighid looked at him and laughed. "We came to thank you for saving our son's life. So thank you."

"You're welcome. Can't have Voldemort killing people when it isn't their time yet, can we?" Harry gave a grim smile.

Ginny poked him in the ribs. "No thinking about that part of the future, remember? Although we technically can't change it anyway because this has already happened…"

McGonagall groaned. "I hate time-travel. The paradoxes are too confusing."

Harry grinned at her. "That's what I think. So I try not to think about it."

Brighid and Harold gave him a careful look. Then McGonagall considered her watch.

"Goodness, we've been here far longer than I anticipated. James and the others will be waiting in my office, and if the Marauders get bored, I dread to think what state it will be in."

"We will be speaking to you later." Harold promised Harry and Ginny.

"I look forward to it!" Harry responded cheerfully.

As the three left, they heard Madam Pomfrey.

"Get off his bed this instant!"

XXXXX

The door to McGonagall's office opened.

"Ah, finally!" Sirius cried. "You're late!"

"No, Mr Black, you are merely early." McGonagall informed him tartly. "Mr and Mrs Potter wanted to thank Professor Potter first and we got caught into conversation with them."

"How disturbed are you, on a scale of one to ten?" Remus asked, interested.

"Remus!" Brighid cried, shocked but laughing.

"Well, I woke up last time in the hospital wing to hear them flirting. It was disturbing." Remus informed them, unapologetically.

The group descended into conversation, but after a while, Brighid and Harold requested some time alone with James and Lily.

"All right, James, what happened during the fight on Hallowe'en?" Harold asked.

James reiterated the fight, including the strange protective qualities of his costume and the professor's yelling about the line of Gryffindor.

"But what did he mean, line of Gryffindor?"

"You know, James. Our 'family secret'."

"You only said we were descended from someone famous." James countered. "You never said who."

"Gryffindor. The Potters are the 'heirs' of Gryffindor."

Something triggered in James' mind. "Lily… When we were there, in the Lightning Cage, Lily said something strange."

Lily frowned. "What?"

"Almost prophecy-like. It went something about thrice-defied…"

Lily's eyes clouded again, sparkling with power. "_Thrice-defied, he who flies from death shall destroy his adversaries… But the line of Gryffindor will outlast his foe's…_"

James sighed. "That was it. Guess that means that Voldemort will be killed some day. Though I've never heard of anyone who thrice-defied him…"

"James, you and Lily have already done it once."

The pair blinked as realisation kicked in. "What does that mean?"

"I don't know, love." Brighid pulled her son into a hug. "I don't know. But you'll be fine. I promise. Minerva said you were subjected to a Memorlive."

James nodded.

"Dear Merlin… The last time they kidnapped you…"

"Mum, I'm fine. I promise you. It's nothing I haven't lived through before. Besides, it's been two weeks." James shrugged. "I was more worried about Lily."

"I'm fine." Lily responded automatically.

"So the memory you relived wasn't the one where Lucius Malfoy nearly raped you?" James' voice was sarcastic. "Lily, we both know that if we hadn't escaped, old Voldemort would've let him finish the job."

In seconds, Lily found herself in James's mother's arms. "You poor, poor girl. Those Death Eaters…"

Lily shot a questioning look at James.

"Mum's a Healer at St. Mungo's. She specialises in victims of violence. Unfortunately, she has far too much work nowadays."

Lily nodded. "I'm… I'm fine."

James had promised never to mention it, at her insistence, but she did not feel as bothered as she should have been by the revelation.

"So," Brighid looked at them both, "any idea where my ceremonial dagger went?"

XXXXX

Harry laid in bed, Ginny snuggled in beside him once more (they were on the look out for Madam Pomfrey).

"So, what are you going to tell them?"

"Sirius is right?" Harry joked.

"Hmm…"

"How about this?" A voice spoke from the doorway. They turned to see Harold and Brighid there once more. Harold was looking at the ring on Harry's finger accusingly.

"Harold, Brighid, I'm your grandson." The man looked dark.

Harry gulped. "Erm…"

XXXXX

A/N: So? What do you think? Suggestions for future chapters are more than welcome, and Lily and James will probably get together in the next two or three chapters. Also, I do not think this story will go above thirty chapters, if that. I'm not sure how to keep going.

Anyway my views on HBP…

SPOILERS ALERT! I'll give you a space…

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Okay, that should be enough!

Harry/Ginny finally! Yay! Even with Harry breaking up with her for 'some silly, noble reason' (that's a quote!), there's no doubt that he truly cares for her. Does he love her? Well, I think so.

I loved this book. It's now my favourite. I like that it was quite fast-paced and I loved the opening chapter. I guess younger readers won't enjoy it so much, but the books are becoming more aimed at 'tweenagers' and teenagers than young children.

The idea of horcruxes and revelations of Voldemort's past were extremely interesting. Even more so, all those people who say Voldemort would've been fine if he was brought up in a happy home? WRONG! He wasn't abused at the orphanage. He had a sense of self-inflated importance and terrified other children! Although I do like the idea that he was the one who caused the jinx on the DADA position. I do have to agree with the person who 'shame Dumbledore set the cabinet on fire and not Tom'. _Snigger._

Dumbledore died! Argh! I don't suppose we can all hope for a… 'In death I will become even more powerful than you can imagine.' (Or words to that effect) can we?

And Snape… Ooh! Evil, evil, evil! Okay, maybe there's something else there, but a guy who calls himself a prince? He's gotta have a self-inflated sense of importance. Although it's amusing that it wasn't until he was out of the room and only words written in a book that Harry finally learnt something from him. It _is_ interesting to realise that one of his grievances against James was that he used his own spells against them. But then it's Snape's fault for letting him see them. I really don't like him.

Interesting ending. And that phoenix thing from Dumbledore's grave was also interesting.

Anyway, very long A/N, but I had to get that off my chest!

Hope you enjoy, hope I haven't disappointed anyone, and hope I get that job I had an interview for the other day! (I need to save some money for uni, because by our calculations, I'm going to be in debt until the time I'm thirty-five. And that doesn't count a mortgage! Maybe I can make it big… If you all bought my book…)

Anyway, my dad's nagging (I should be rewriting my novel, not fanfiction – I finished chapter 6 this morning) so I'll go and post this!

Happy summer and HBP-reading!

Lol, Tanydwr (who is going to re-read HBP in the next few weeks)


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